Cholera spreads from Sudan to eastern Chad, killing 63 people
Cholera has spread from Sudan to neighbouring Chad’s eastern Ouaddai province, killing at least 63 people, according to Africa News on August 26th.
The disease was carried into refugee camps in Chad by Sudanese civilians who were fleeing the violence in their home country. So far, 938 cases of cholera have been detected in Ouaddai.
Sudan has been gripped by a highly destructive civil war since April 2023 after a power struggle between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces turned violent.
Health experts and international institutions such as the World Health Organisation had previously warned of the high risk of the disease spilling-over into neighbouring countries.
Sudan is struggling to contain what has been identified as “the worst cholera outbreak the country has seen in years”, according to medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on August 14th.
MSF also revealed that within the space of a year, 99,700 cases of Cholera were recorded across Sudan, from which 2,470 patients died.
A statement from Chad’s health ministry announced the 63 deaths on August 25th, revealing that the epidemic arrived sometime in July. The national authorities have since vowed to substantially increase measures to treat patients and contain the spread by improving hygiene and sanitation standards in the affected region.
In July, at least four people died of cholera after an outbreak in Dougui refugee camp, which is also located in the Ouaddai province. The camp hosts around 20,000 Sudanese refugees.
Due to its shared border with Sudan, Chad is amongst the countries that have been most heavily affected by the civil war. Since the conflict started, just under 850,000 Sudanese refugees crossed over into the country.
Before the war began, Chad was already hosting approximately 409,000 Sudanese refugees who had fled earlier violence in the Darfur region, according to the United Nations on June 3rd.
Africa News, Maghrebi.org, MSF, United Nations
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
