Over 150,000 suspected cholera cases have been registered in Yemen since the beginning of the year, with the World Health Organization (WHO) noting a significant increase in reported cases in the past weeks, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said on Tuesday.
GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd October, 2018) Over 150,000 suspected cholera cases have been registered in Yemen since the beginning of the year, with the World Health Organization (WHO) noting a significant increase in reported cases in the past weeks, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said on Tuesday.
"Since the beginning of January 2018 to 26 August, there are 154,527 suspected cholera cases and 197 associated deaths ... We are observing a more important increase in reported number of suspected cases since June and particularly in last weeks," Jasarevic said at a briefing.
A total of 1,211,657 suspected cholera cases had been recorded since April 2017, with the fatality rate standing at 2,515, the WHO representative noted.
The cholera outbreak has affected 96 percent of Yemeni governorates, mainly targeting little children - under five years old - who account for 30 percent of total suspected cases, according to Jasarevic.
The spokesman also noted that the Yemeni authorities in coordination with WHO and UN agencies were conducting an oral cholera vaccination campaign in the embattled port city of Hudaydah and Ibb from September 30 to October 3.
The Yemeni conflict has been raging since 2015. The hostilities are accompanied by an acute economic crisis and the spread of cholera caused by the lack of hygiene, malnutrition and destroyed medical facilities.
