By Black Star News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday that approximately 80,000 children are at extreme risk of contracting cholera in Central and West Africa.
UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, said, “The heavy rains, widespread flooding and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission and putting the lives of children at risk.”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria are among the hardest hit spots of cholera. There is now heightened concern about cross-border transmission into nearby nations.
The worst hit country is the DRC which has reported more than 38,000 cases, with 951 deaths, in July. Young children, under five, makeup 25 percent of the cases. In Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, recent intense rainfall, along with major flooding, have caused a sharp increase in the last month.
Nigeria is the next nation to be hurt the most by the cholera crisis. There are around 3,109 suspected cholera cases, with some 86 deaths, listed at the end of June.
The regional cholera emergency is also a problem in the nations of Ghana, Chad, Republic of Congo, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire. 612 cholera cases have been reported in Ghana, as of the end of April; in Côte d’Ivoire, there were 322 cases with 15 deaths by mid July; and in Togo, and there were 209 cases, and five deaths, as June was near its end.
Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Liberia, and Niger are also being closely watched due to their susceptibility for major cholera outbreaks.
Mr. Fagninou warned that, “We are in a race against time, working hand in hand with the authorities to deliver essential healthcare, safe water and proper nutrition to children already at risk of deadly diseases and severe acute malnutrition. Together with an array of partners, we are strengthening community engagement and extending our reach to remote and underserved areas, making every effort to ensure that no child is left behind.”
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