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Yemen: Cholera Outbreak Response Situation Report #4 (19 July 2017)

Countries
Yemen
Sources
WHO
Publication date
Origin
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362 545
SUSPECTED CHOLERA CASES

659
LAB CONFIRMED CASES

1817
RELATED DEATHS

21
GOVERNORATES AFFECTED

HIGHLIGHTS

  • National Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in Aden and Sana'a have now been redesigned and strengthened to harness the full capacity of United Nations agencies and partners to support the cholera response.

  • The national Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) has been reduced to 0.5%, with 99.5% of people with suspected cholera surviving.

  • Surveillance confirms a decline in suspected cases over the past two weeks in some of the most affected governorates (e.g. Amanat al-Asimah, Amran and Sana’a). This data should be interpreted with caution, however, given a backlog in the analysis of suspected cases. Even if the outbreak is beginning to slow in some areas, thousands are falling sick every day. Sustained efforts are required to stop the spread of this disease.

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has successfully established 47 diarrhoea treatment centres of the 50 centres in the original plan.

  • A cholera vaccination campaign originally planned for July 2017 has been postponed at the request of the health authorities, in favour of a much larger preventive campaign next year targeting millions of Yemenis at risk of the disease.

  • WHO and UNICEF are supporting a door to door awareness campaign at the end of July to help people understand how they can keep their families safe from cholera.

Situation update

Since the beginning of the second wave of the cholera outbreak on 27 April 2017, 362 545 suspected cholera cases and 1817 deaths have been reported. The number of affected governorates is now 21 (out of 23) and the number of affected districts is 292 (out of 333).

On a positive note, the nationwide case fatality ratio has been reduced to 0.5% – far below the target of less than 1%. This means that 99.5% of people with suspected cholera who access health services are surviving. In addition, surveillance confirms a decline in suspected cases over the past two weeks in some of the most affected governorates (e.g. Amanat al-Asimah, Amran and Sana’a). This data should be interpreted with caution, however, given a backlog in the analysis of suspected cases. WHO continues to monitor the situation to establish whether this downward trend continues over the coming weeks.

Even if the outbreak is beginning to slow in some areas, thousands are falling sick every day and the situation remains alarming. Yemen’s cholera outbreak is far from over. The rainy season has just started and may increase the pace of transmission. Sustained efforts are required to stop the spread of this disease.