20 May 2017 – The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen has released updated numbers of cholera cases in the country. Since the last update on 27 April, 23 425 new suspected cases of cholera and 242 related deaths (case-fatality rate 1.1%) have been reported, mainly from Amran, Hajjah and Sana’a governorates and Sana’a city.
A cumulative total of 49 495 suspected cases of cholera, including 362 associated deaths have been reported across the country since the outbreak started in October 2016. However, between 27 April and 18 May 2017, there has been a significant upsurge in the number of suspected cholera cases. The outbreak has spread to around 210 districts in 18 governorates across the country, and the case fatality rate has exceeded 1%.
WHO has intensified the cholera response activities to mitigate the outbreak, including the establishment of 4 cholera treatment and 16 oral dehydration centres, training of health workers to manage the cases, deployment of rapid response team to manage cholera cases investigations and respond to the outbreak, enhancement of Yemen’s disease early warning surveillance systems, and provision of emergency medical supplies to treatment facilities.
The ongoing response operations are severely hampered by limited active case-finding, population movement and displacement, poor accesses to health care services, food insecurity and malnutrition.