Cholera further exacerbates vulnerabilities in Syria

8 December 2022 – Since the first case was declared on 6 September 2022, cholera has spread to all 14 governorates in Syria, adding another grim chapter of human suffering in the war-torn country.  Between 25 August and 26 November 2022, over 52 013 suspected cholera cases and 98 deaths were reported across Syria, with Deir-ez-Zor, Ar-Raqqa, Aleppo, Idleb, and Al-Hasakeh, reporting the highest figures. Camps hosting internally displaced people (IDPs) have reported more than 2100 cases.  “I was about to die, I felt weak and without strength. My condition was deteriorating with hours of diarrhoea and vomiting. I could only go to the nearest pharmacy since no health centres or hospitals exist in my village,” said Salem, a 35-year-old man from Al-Kubar village in rural Deir-ez-Zor.  Poor water resources in rural Deir-ez-Zor governorate. WHO/Syria“I was so worried about my condition; I was lying on the ground for 4 hours connected to IV fluids,” continued Salem. “The pharmacist immediately notified the WHO-supported EWARS focal point who suspected that I was cholera-positive and facilitated my journey to the nearest hospital in Al-Kesra city to receive the necessary medical treatment.”   With a combination of ongoing hostilities, widespread destruction of the infrastructure, deprivation of essential health services, and a substantial number of IDPs, in addition to a climatic-induced and human-caused shocks affecting natural...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news