On January 23rd, it was reported that Somalia and the United Nations have developed a plan requiring 5.6 million U.S. dollars to address the cholera outbreak in the country over the next six months.
The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that between Jan. 7-13, at least nine people died of acute watery diarrhea (AWD)/cholera, with 474 cases reported during that period. This situation has led to a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.9 percent, which is higher than the WHO’s emergency threshold of 1 percent.
The WHO attributed the current cholera outbreak in Somalia to limited access to safe water, lack of proper sanitation, inadequate primary health care services, and reduced immunity among children who are experiencing high levels of acute malnutrition.
Most cases have been reported from Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions in central Somalia, particularly in the districts of Beledweyne, Buloburto, Jalalaqsi, and Jowhar.
The WHO noted that the current outbreak is a continuation from 2023 when over 18,300 cases were reported, and over 10,000 children below the age of five were affected.
Somalia has been experiencing uninterrupted AWD/cholera transmission since 2022, especially in the Banadir region since the drought of 2017.
In 2023, a total of 18,304 cumulative cases and 46 deaths were reported, with over 10,000 affected children below the age of five. The WHO reported that 499 cases were reported on Dec. 11-31 from 30 districts that were affected by drought earlier in the year, with an overall CFR of 0.3 percent.
The WHO also stated that partners have intensified response activities to control outbreaks in districts affected by floods from October to December 2023.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that is spread through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from feces.
Risk communication and community education efforts are ongoing, including the distribution of awareness materials to high-risk districts, deployment of community health workers and outreach teams, and dissemination of radio messages on safe water handling and hygiene practices.
The WHO emphasized that while the triggers for outbreaks, such as poverty and conflict, persist, extreme climate events like floods and droughts reduce access to clean water and create ideal conditions for cholera to thrive.
