WHO Steps Up Cholera Interventions in Drought-Affected Somalia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has intensified its efforts to combat cholera in Somalia after 30 fatalities were reported from the disease since the start of the year. Since the beginning of 2023, 11,704 suspected cholera cases have emerged in 28 of Somalia’s drought-stricken districts, the WHO announced Tuesday in its weekly update from Mogadishu. Notably, the Banadir region has experienced ongoing cholera transmission since the 2017 drought, while the other 28 districts have been affected since 2022. In late July alone, 235 new suspected cases were recorded, though no associated deaths were reported. The overall fatality rate, at 0.3%, remains below the critical emergency threshold of 1%. To address the issue, the WHO, along with health partners, has expanded cholera response measures, particularly in Jubaland state, identified as the outbreak’s epicenter. In a previous warning this April, the UN indicated that heavy rainfall causing flash and riverine floods could worsen waterborne disease outbreaks in the region.