Cholera Outbreak Spreads Death Toll Rises to 106
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The death toll from a cholera outbreak that has swept through the Niger
River Valley in Mali since early November 2003 has reached 106, the
World
Health Organization (WHO) said on Wed, 17 Dec 2003.
WHO quoted officials of Mali's Ministry of Health as saying that 1216
cases
of cholera and 106 deaths had been reported by 12 Dec 2003, giving a
fatality rate of 8.72 percent.
Most of the cases were recorded in and around the towns of Bamako,
Koulikoro, Segou, Mopti, and Timbuktu near the Niger River. But WHO
said in
its latest update on the cholera outbreak that cases had also started
appearing recently in the Sikasso region, near the southern border with
Cote d'Ivoire. It said cholera appeared to be declining around
Koulikoro
and Segou, to the east of the capital Bamako, but that the disease had
not
yet been brought under control in Mopti, further to the north.
"Last week, there were 55 cases and 5 deaths recorded in Mopti," Dr
Paul
Ngwakum, Medical Coordinator for Medecins sans Frontieres
(MSF)-Luxemburg
in Mali told IRIN. He said wells in the area were being treated with
disinfectant, and MSF and other health agencies were providing
rehydration
kits to treat cholera patients. "We are distributing packets of
medicines
for people to put in their water before use," he said.
A team from WHO Global Task Force on Cholera Control has been assisting
Mali's Ministry of Health, assessing the safety of the water supplies,
carrying out surveillance activities and providing additional supplies.
It
is collaborating with MSF and Medecins du Monde, who are providing
technical assistance and medical supplies.
The 1st cholera cases were reported in Mali in early November 2003
following unusually heavy rains that caused widespread flooding. The
number
of cases has since increased steadily, putting nearly a million people
living along the Niger River at risk.
In mid-November 2003, MSF-Luxemburg flew in medical equipment and staff
to
help curb the outbreak. It also flew in cholera treatment kits from
neighboring Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire
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