Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kabul (Agenzia Fides) – In the last two months, in Afghanistan, 28 people have died from cholera and Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD). According to information from the Ministry of Public Health, at least 673 cases of AWD and/or cholera were reported in 11 of the 34 provinces of the country. The cholera, rarely checked for in Afghanistan is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of the bacteria vibrio cholerae. The illness in its most serious form is characterized by the sudden development of AWD that can be lethal due to dehydration and kidney failure. There are great similarities between AWD and cholera, and even health care workers find them hard to distinguish. However, health officials in the northern province of Samangan have made an emergency appeal to prevent a possible epidemic in the Dara-e-Sof District. The Health Department has announced that medical supplies, antibiotics, and hydrating mineral salts have been distributed in the province effected by cholera and more support has been guaranteed, if it is needed. The illness is also hitting the eastern province of Nangarhar where flash flooding has recently effect nearly 4,000 people and placed them at risk for water contamination. The lack of access to potable water and health services, as well as the lack of concern for personal hygiene, are the leading cause of cholera and AWD. UNICEF estimates that only 23% of the 27 million Afghans have access to potable water and only 12% to good healthcare services, and that every year over 50,000 children die of diarrheal illnesses. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 14/9/2009)
