Over 2100 Cholera Cases and 137 Deaths Recorded in Chad

The Chadian Ministry of Public Health and Prevention has announced there are over 2,100 recorded cases of cholera in the country, adding that the disease is spreading in three provinces. The announcement was made yesterday, Sept. 19.

Since announcing the discovery of thefirst suspected cases of the disease on July 13, followed by the confirmation of the Vibrio cholerae 01 Ogawa on July 24, Chad has been facing a persistent spread of the disease with 2,134 total cases recorded, including 74 confirmed cases after laboratory analysis.

There have been 137 deaths attributed to the outbreak, bringing the fatality rate to 6.8 per cent. Women are the most affected, with the age groups of 5–14 and 15–44 representing more than 64 per cent of the cases.

The provinces where the disease is very active are Ouaddai, Sila, and Guera, with nine health districts affected, notably Chokoyane, Hadjer Hadid, and Bitkine.

The national authorities, supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, have been working on the installation of choleric beds and reinforcement of treatment units, distribution of doxycycline and the purification of water, and the disinfection of houses and community sensitisation in the affected zones. The authorities are also preparing to start a vaccination campaign in the districts of Abeche, Abdi and Goz Beida, with an extension envisaged to Bitkine.

In spite of these efforts, several obstacles complicate the response measures, including insufficient equipment such as tents, adapted beds, protection kits, a lack of qualified personnel, and weak participation of certain partners, defecation in open areas, insecure funerals and gatherings that favour the transmission of the disease, as well as difficult access to affected zones.

The Ministry of Public Health emphasised that cholera is transmitted through water or contaminated food, and to protect against it, the systematic washing of hands with water and soap, drinking only pipe-borne or boiled water, and washing fruits and vegetables before consumption are recommended. The population is also advised to avoid eating roadside food and to report cases of acute diarrhoea immediately to health facilities.