MSF warns of ‘rapidly spreading’ outbreak as cholera kills 31 in Ethiopia

According to Doctors Without Borders, which is known by its French name MSF, a “rapidly spreading” cholera outbreak that has sickened more than 1,500 people in Ethiopia’s Gambella region over the past month has claimed the lives of at least 31 people.

The international medical organization reported on Friday that people who are escaping violence in the neighboring South Sudan have become worse.

The outbreak in South Sudan is ongoing, putting thousands of lives at risk, according to MSF, and it is rapidly spreading across western Ethiopia.

Ethiopia, the second-largest nation in Africa, has a population of 120 million people, and Amhara, one of its second-largest regions, is one of the hardest hit by cholera outbreaks.

Acute intestinal infection caused by the vibrio cholerae bacterium, which is frequently faecal, is known as cholerae, which spreads through food and water.

South Sudan

In Akobo County in South Sudan, which is bordered by the Upper Nile, 1,300 cholera cases have been reported, according to MSF. The South Sudanese government’s recent clashes with armed groups “worsening the outbreak,” according to the article.

According to MSF, “tens of thousands are being displaced and have no access to safe water, sanitation, and healthcare.”

South Sudan, the youngest country in the world and one of the youngest still suffering from chronic insecurities and poverty, declared cholera epidemic in October of last year.

“We are treating patients, providing clean water, and raising awareness of the disease in Ethiopia. Lifesaving care is being provided in South Sudan, according to MSF.

To stop the spread of the disease, “a campaign is needed to urgently support health facilities, provide safe water, and promote cholera vaccination.”

a disease that can be prevented

In 2023, a “preventable and easily treatable disease” has claimed the lives of 4, 000 people, a 71 percent increase from the previous year, primarily in Africa, according to the World Health Organization.

The growing hostility between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which observers believe could lead to an armed conflict, further complicates the threat of cholera spread in Ethiopia.