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Fears of Cholera Epidemic in Kurdistan
3.5.2008
By Azeez Mahmood in Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan
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Officials concerned series of gastric infections may
signal outbreak of killer disease.
May 3, 2008
Kurdistan Region 'Iraq'
A rash of patients hospitalised with diarrhoea and
vomiting in northern Iraq has raised fears of a
cholera outbreak across the region.
In April, the main hospital in Sulaimaniyah received
an average of 25 patients per day with such symptoms
– which are very similar to those associated with
cholera.
While no cases of the disease have been confirmed,
officials are worried.
"We have serious fears of a cholera outbreak," said
Ziryan Osman, Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG,
health minister.
According to statistics from Sulaimaniyah general
hospital, around 400 patients were admitted with
diarrhoea and vomiting in April – a big leap from
the 260 cases in March.
Cholera is a potentially deadly water-borne illness
that causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration.
Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable
to infection.
An outbreak in the region last year led to 2,000
infections and 24 deaths. Hardest hit was the
northern city of Sulaimaniyah, where 14 people died.
Health officials said a lack of clean drinking water
and rising temperatures in the region could spark a
similar epidemic this year. The former coupled with
poor sanitation was to blame for last year’s
outbreak,www.ekurd.net
which began in the
province of Kirkuk and spread throughout Iraqi
Kurdistan as well as Baghdad.
"People have a great deal of difficulty getting hold
of clean drinking water in Sulaimaniyah," said
Sherko Abdullah, manager of the Sulaimaniyah health
department.
Abdullah noted that areas on the outskirts of the
city often rely on wells in which cholera –
particularly in warm climates – can fester.
The poor infrastructure in the region causes endless
frustration for health workers, who treat patients
only to have them fall ill again due to contaminated
water supplies.
“We cannot continue treating people and have them
leave hospital and get sick again,” said Muhammad
Omer Muhammad, director of a teaching hospital in
Sulaimaniyah.
"Protection is much more important than a cure.”
Late in March, the KRG sought to begin countering a
possible outbreak of cholera by banning the sale of
fresh greens, such as lettuce, in Kurdistan’s
markets. Osman said the government believes that
they may be a potential source of the disease.
The region’s ministry of health has also launched a
media campaign to educate people on the risks of
cholera and encourage them to boil water.
The KRG has also given Sulaimaniyah emergency funds
to deal with a potential outbreak and the World
Health Organisation has been contacted to provide
medical support, said Osman.
Jutiyar Nuri, deputy governor of Sulaimaniyah
province, said the KRG allocated 25 billion Iraqi
dinars (20 million US dollars) to Sulaimaniyah to
address the cholera concerns and to help ease
drought conditions.
The drought, which began in the spring, has
restricted the supply of clean water, which is
already sparse because of the outdated water supply
system, according to Abdullah.
While Abdullah said Sulaimaniyah has the drugs to
treat cholera,www.ekurd.net
he did not say how many
patients local hospitals could cope with in the
event of another outbreak. Health officials have
also set up special medical teams to both assist
patients with diarrhoea and monitor cases, he added.
Sulaimaniyah officials, including the governor of
the province and town mayor, have also formed a
committee to provide clean water, said Abdullah.
“The government has to provide basic services,” he
said.
Awni Muhammad, 25, a student at a local seminary,
was admitted to a Sulaimaniyah hospital last week
after suffering severe diarrhoea and vomiting. Three
of his friends who, like him, have rooms at the
college dormitory were hospitalised with similar
symptoms.
"The water we use for drinking is really dirty,”
said Muhammad. “We told the municipality about our
water problems, but they haven’t responded to us.”
Sabiha Majid, a 45-year-old housewife in
Sulaimaniyah, said she boils water before using it
because the supply is unclean. She is concerned
there will be a cholera outbreak in her area.
“If someone is infected with the disease, the
government will be responsible," she said.
Azeez Mahmood is an IWPR-trained journalist in
Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Copyright, respective author or news agency, iwpr
net
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