11 October 2011
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) called today for an urgent increase in the efforts to combat "one of the worst ever" cholera outbreaks affecting large numbers of people across West and Central Africa.
In a news release issued today, UNICEF urged governments to coordinate their preparation and response measures not only within their borders but also with neighbouring countries to prevent the spread of the disease.
"It is clear in this emergency that authorities can play a key role to save lives. Information exchange between cross-border districts on caseloads and population movements, as well as cross-border inspections for disinfection and chlorination are proven ways to contain the disease and save lives," the agency said.
This year the region has had more than 85,000 reported cholera cases, resulting in 2,466 deaths, which make it one of the biggest epidemics in the region's history. In addition, fatality rates remain unacceptably high, ranging from 2.3 per cent to 4.7 per cent and reaching much higher levels in countries such as Cameroon.
There are currently three major cross-border epidemic outbreaks in the region: the Lake Chad Basin which includes Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger; the West Congo Basin comprising of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR); and Lake Tanganyika, which includes the DRC and Burundi.
The most significant increases in the number of cases, however, are concentrated in Chad, Cameroon and the DRC. Smaller cholera epidemics in Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Togo are reportedly under control.
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