The cholera epidemic, which started in September, continues to spread by increasing its impact in Syria. World Doctors warned that urgent and sustainable steps should be taken in order to prevent the collapse of the basic infrastructure in the country and to meet the humanitarian needs and health needs of the Syrian people, who are left vulnerable by the ongoing conflicts and economic destruction, and called for increased precautions against the possibility of the epidemic rising to uncontrollable levels.
The cholera epidemic, which started in September in the northern parts of the country, where infrastructure facilities such as health, transportation and education were destroyed in the 11th year of the war in Syria, continues to increase. The epidemic, which added a new one to the suffering of the Syrian people, was first seen in the region of Jarablus in Aleppo on September 19th.
23 thousand 795 cholera cases detected in northern Syria
As a result of the cholera epidemic, which increased its effect in a short time as a result of the failure to meet the hygiene and health needs required under war conditions, a total of 23,795 suspected cholera cases were reported in North West Syria as of 16 December. About 33% of suspected cases came from camps where displaced people lived. So far, 15 people have died in the region due to cholera. According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, at least 98 deaths (case fatality rate 0.3%) and 56,879 suspected cholera cases were reported across Syria. The number of confirmed and suspected cases continues to increase rapidly.
Only 52% of hospitals are working
Calling for an emergency action plan for increasing cholera cases, World Doctors expressed how important it is to continuously support and maintain critical infrastructure through humanitarian corridors in order to provide basic services against this epidemic, which has recently erupted due to dirty water wells in the country where war and conflicts still continue. reminds the international community once again. It is stated that while the water supply has decreased by 40% in the country, where the war has seriously damaged the water and canal networks, only 52% of the hospitals operating under difficult conditions in the region can continue their activities.
“The Cholera Epidemic Affects the Lives of Thousands in Syria”
World Doctors Syria Program Coordinator Mohamad Şahin, who has been providing healthcare services to displaced people under conflict conditions in clinics in Syria’s Afrin and Idlib regions since 2018, said, “Today, the Syrian people struggle with the serious consequences of a bloody war and an upended economy, while the health system is almost collapsing. has to pay the price. The water and sewage systems in the region are also about to go bankrupt, which leads to worsening hygiene conditions,” he said.
Stating that World Doctors have reached 2,458 people in need directly and 12,290 indirectly within the scope of preventive medicine, regarding the recent cholera epidemic in the region, Şahin said, “By organizing awareness sessions on cholera prevention through community health workers, “We are fighting the epidemic directly on the ground. We have also increased our stocks of oral rehydration solution (ORS) for rapid response to cases, as cholera is a disease that requires immediate treatment and can cause death within hours.”
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
