MOGADISHU, May 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 10,647 new cases of cholera and 102 deaths have been reported in Somalia due to flooding caused by heavy rains since January, the government said on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services classified 6,330, or 64 percent, of the total cases as severe, indicating the gravity of the illness. "Regrettably, 102 deaths, or 1.0 percent of the case fatality rate, were recorded during the reporting period, emphasizing the severity of the outbreak," the ministry said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The ministry attributed the continued cholera outbreak in Somalia to the country's expanding population's lack of access to sanitary facilities and clean water.
In addition, the ministry stated that the outbreak is expected to escalate when the anticipated heavier-than-normal Gu' rains begin, especially in high-risk districts located along the Shabelle and Jubba River basins.
"Also, the upcoming Gu rains are expected to initiate outbreaks in areas where the disease has not been detected in years," the ministry said.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with cholera bacterium, usually from improper disposal of waste matter.
Since 2022, there has been continuous AWD/cholera transmission in the Banadir region of Somalia following the 2017 drought, according to the World Health Organization.
In 2023, more than 18,304 cumulative cases and 46 deaths were reported in Somalia, with the majority being children below the age of five. ■
