Cholera outbreak in Sudan has become a nightmare since several years. The number of deaths is at least 40 while the number of suspected cases is in thousands as stated in the report recently published by the organization called Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The outbreak started earlier this year and has largely been fueled by the continuous armed conflict, mass displacement, and very poor access to clean water.
The disease has not only reached several states, but it has also tripled gradually in those areas, among which are Blue Nile, Kassala, and Gedaref three mentioned the most seriously affected areas.
Health institutions are not able to take care of such a big emergency, so a lot of patients have to drive far away to get treatment. MSF has mobilized resources to set up cholera treatment centers and work with the local authorities to provide relief services.
One of the main reasons for the outbreak has been the complete lack of potable water. Water supply has been destroyed while flooding has resulted in the contamination of water supplies in the area; hence it has become very difficult for the communities to access clean water.
There is also a shortage of medical supplies, which is enough to weaken the healthcare system even further.
MSF are making very serious appeals for international help to be coming in time to stop the outbreak. They argue that first of all purification of water should be ramped up together with providing additional medical resources and running public health awareness campaigns.
At the moment it is the rainy season, and the doctors are warning that without speedy measures the number of cases can swell exponentially.
