4 000 morts dans une trentaine de pays  

4,000 dead in around thirty countries

The resurgence of cholera

According to the WHO, more than 390,000 cases of cholera, including 4,332 deaths have been reported since the start of the year. “These figures are underestimated, but they reflect a collective failure: cholera is avoidable and easy to treat, but it continues to make victims,” said the WHO technical manager. The global cholera epidemic has exploded since the start of the year. With 31 countries concerned in the world, she continued to spread, under the effect of conflicts and poverty, alerted the UN World Health Agency on Friday. The UN agency has notably alarmed the situation in Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Yemen. “In all these countries, conflicts have fueled cholera,” added Ms. Alberti.

Sudan: more than 50,000 cases
But it was above all war in Sudan that had a domino effect. A year after the start of the epidemic in this country, cholera has reached all states. This year alone, nearly 50,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths have been identified, with a high mortality rate of 2.2 %, exceeding the threshold of 1 % which indicates adequate treatment. If the number of cases has stabilized or decreased in certain regions, notably in Khartoum, it is up in the Darfur region and affects neighboring Chad. In Tawila, in northern Darfur, the refugees quadrupled the population, which increased from 200,000 to 800,000 people, putting the tests of water supply and sanitation.
“People have an average of only 3 liters of water per day (imagine a little) to drink, cook, wash and clean up,” said WHO manager.

Chad: more than 500 cases and 30 deaths
In neighboring Chad, which welcomed Sudanese refugees from Darfur, the first case was reported a little over a month ago. Since then, more than 500 cases and 30 deaths have been reported in the camps and reception communities of the border province of Ouadai. With the rainy season, which started, WHO fears a worsening of the situation. WHO has therefore strengthened its intervention in the Darfur region and neighboring Chad, anticipating a deterioration of sanitary conditions and the flood of roads, which will hinder access to humanitarian workers and supplies. Thanks to joint efforts, 17 cholera treatment centers with a total capacity of 670 beds are operational in Darfur. “But violence and bureaucracy block access. Vast parts of the Darfur and Kordofan remain inaccessible ”. Sudan is not the only worrying country. In neighboring South Sudan, nearly 70,310 cases and more than 1,158 deaths were identified. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 44,521 cases and 1,238 deaths were listed this year, mainly in the east of the country affected by the conflict. In the Middle East, with the conflict in Yemen, more than 60,794 cases and 164 deaths were detected. These figures have two common points: first, they are too high, too many people have been affected, and secondly, they are linked to conflicts. “Conflicts oblige populations to flee, often towards overcrowded camps where the installations of water, sanitation and hygiene supply are insufficient. And the global response is paralyzed by overloaded human resources, data in data and serious financing deficits ”.

More than six million doses of vaccine produced each month
Fortunately, the production of oral anticholery vaccines has reached “record levels” thanks to new formulations. Since last December, 6 million doses have been produced per month, the highest figure since 2013. But this record production has been exceeded by record demand. Since January, the international coordination group for the supply of vaccines (ICG) has received 38 requests from 12 countries, three times more than at the same time last year. This year, more than 40 million doses have already been awarded, compared to 35 million for the whole of 2024. More than 85 % of the doses approved this year are intended for countries faced with humanitarian crises, most (a third of the total) having gone to Sudan.
Samir Sabek