Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - An outbreak of cholera has been reported in north west Uganda particulary among the tens of thousands of people crammed in refugee camps in precarious sanitary conditions. In recent weeks 900 cases have been registered and since the middle of June at least 24 people have died of colera in the region of Arua where villages drink polluted water from the River Nile.
The United Nations World Health Organisation WHO said it is striving in collaboration with local authorities to control the epidemic but prohibitive conditions in some camps, like the camp at Pabbo for example where there are 64,000 people (348 confirmed cases) and Amuro camp (48,000, 35 cases number rising) rende useful interventions almost impossible. People need everything and have nothing. Eleven schools have been closed and a number of people have been moved away from the affected areas.
Health authorities have reported an outbreak of cholera also in west Mali: so far 110 registered cases and 14 people dead. According to WHO statistics in 2004 in Africa at least 1,600 people died of cholera.
Info in Italian http://www.fides.org/ita/sanita/2004/colera01.html
(AP) (12/7/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:19; Parole:201)
