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Somalia Aid
Coordination Body Health & Nutrition Sectoral Committee Cholera Task Force |
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In
their fight to control cholera outbreaks at community level, which are endemic
in Somalia, the SACB members have already
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Implemented regional
cholera preparedness and control plans;
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Increased health
surveillance, including targeted and random laboratory testing of possible
cholera cases in regularly affected areas;
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Pre-positioned
medical stocks;
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Provided refresher
training to local and international medical staff and are
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Continuing sanitation
control activities, particularly chlorination of public wells.
Longer-term
control measures also in place include:
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Rehabilitation of
safe water sources (such as boreholes and wells);
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Construction of urban
water systems where possible;
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Continuing public
information campaigns to improve health and hygiene.
Cholera,
normally surges from December through May in any given year. Outbreaks tend to recede with the arrival of
Somalia’s annual long rainy season.
This
year the onset of the cholera season did not
take place until March with relatively few cases of cholera reported from
Mogadishu (36 cases & 2 deaths), Middle Juba (56 cases & 9 deaths) and
Lower Shabelle (25 cases & 5 deaths). SACB partners responded with prompt
assessment and medical supplies to support local cholera control and treatment
activities, reducing further transmission of the disease.
Over
70 percent of all cholera cases in Somalia each year are reported from the
capital, Mogadishu. In Mogadishu, WHO,
UNICEF, Action Contre la Faim (ACF), Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the
Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS) with support from the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) form a regional cholera task force working
with the local Mogadishu authorities. Chlorination activities are ongoing in
the capital and these agencies have also established cholera treatment centres
and dispensing facilities for Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) in the north and
south of the city. Further, both MSF and ACF have committed to
provide on-the-job training in cholera treatment to aid agencies with less
experience.
For
other parts of Somalia, regional preparedness plans were presented at the
annual SACB Cholera Workshop on 18 October 2001 and these are being carried out
at community level.
Across
the country, UNICEF provides medical kits, Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), and
chlorine to purify water sources. Cholera prevention messages have been
provided by UNICEF for use by the media and in health and education facilities
across Somalia as well as training of social mobilizers. The WHO provides
laboratory support, intravenous solution and supports on-site training in case
management and cholera control, as well as operational research on cholera. In addition, UNICEF and WHO are sending
public health and water sanitation teams to help coordinate the response to
cholera along with the District Polio Officers (DPOs), who are field based,
where outbreaks are likely to occur.
It
is hoped that local communities and Somali authorities will support these
efforts – particularly with accurate reporting of numbers of cholera cases and
deaths – an area riddled with confusion due to mis-reporting by some local
authorities and press in the past.
For more information,
please contact:
Dr. Imanol
Berakoetxea, Health Coordinator
Somali Aid
Coordination Body, Health Committee
Tel: (254 2) 441225
Farah Dar
World Health
Organization, Somalia Office
Tel: (254 2) 623197
or 623198 or 623199
UNICEF Support
Center, Communications Section
Sonya Laurence Green,
Information Officer
UN Resident &
Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office for Somalia
Tel: (254 2) 448434,
Fax: (254 2) 448439
Maura Barry
Head of SACB
Secretariat
Tel: (254 2) 448434, Fax: (254 2) 442438