International Rescue Committee (IRC) Chad prepares for cholera outbreak as World Health Organisation (WHO) warns of regional spread
'Following concerns expressed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) about the spread of the unprecedented Cholera epidemic in Sudan to neighbouring countries, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is launching prevention efforts, including raising awareness amongst vulnerable communities of how to prevent the spread of disease, to prepare for a possible cholera outbreak. With the rainy season approaching in Chad, health teams warn that the risk of an epidemic is increasing. We know how quickly flooding can overwhelm sanitation systems and create ideal conditions for the rapid spread of cholera. We're working closely with communities to raise awareness and reduce risks before the disease reaches eastern Chad. This includes surveillance at the borders and awareness-raising in the camps, where the IRC is actively involved, alongside coordination with the Ministry of Health, local authorities, and partners to strengthen overall response preparedness.'
In Sudan, which is now the largest displacement crisis in the world, the epidemic saw a dramatic resurgence at the end of May, with more than 82,000 cases and over 2,100 deaths reported across the country, with Khartoum, South Darfur and East Darfur showing increasing trends.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Rescue Committee (IRC) .
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
Sudan: Sharp rise in attacks on healthcare after two years of conflict with 1,000 people killed this year
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed so far this year in Sudan while seeking health care or visiting loved ones in hospital, with attacks on hospitals nearly tripling after two years of conflict [1] and exacerbating a cholera outbreak, Save the Children said. Save the Children analysis of attacks on healthcare as reported by the World Health Organization found that at least 933 people, including children, were killed in over 38 incidents in the first six months of 2025. This is nearly 60 times the number of deaths reported over the same period a year ago [2]. Over 148 people were injured in healthcare attacks in the first half of 2025, which is nearly triple the number of people injured over the same period last year. The deadly attacks targeted clinics, health facilities, major hospitals, ambulances, and medical convoys while looting of warehouses housing drugs and medical supplies has put more people at risk in a country where half the population – 30.4 million people – are in need of humanitarian aid. Save the Children said the number of attacks on healthcare has been high since conflict broke out in April 2023 but the spike in casualty numbers this year was alarming, with nearly four times more people killed than in 2023 and 2024 combined. The latest attack on healthcare took place last week at Al-Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan state and left over 40 people dead, including six children and five health workers, the WHO's office in Sudan said. Dozens were also injured in the attack. In January this year, at least one girl and three boys were reportedly killed and three boys injured in an attack on the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, in Sudan's North Darfur. The children were among patients receiving care in the hospital's emergency ward, being treated for injuries resulting from previous bombings in the area. The attacks on healthcare facilities and workers have increased as the country is reeling from a spiralling cholera outbreak, with 80,000 confirmed cases including more than 1,000 children under five and more than 2,000 deaths nationwide since the outbreak was declared two months ago [3]. On top of direct attacks on hospitals, looting of medical supplies is further compounding the suffering for millions in Sudan. This has included the theft of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) – a crucial treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition - from UNICEF's supplies at Al Bashair Hospital in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, in March and Save the Children facilities. Save the Children is urgently working to increase life-saving supplies, especially ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a micronutrient-rich paste used to treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children—especially into Darfur. But RUTF stocks are already dangerously low, and Sudan is among the countries projected to face critical global supply chain gaps in the coming months due to aid cuts. Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director of Programmes and Operations for Save the Children in Sudan, said: 'Healthcare workers should never have to worry about their safety while providing health services and patients should never have to look over their shoulders while seeking care in hospitals. 'The number of people killed and injured in direct attacks on healthcare this year is alarmingly too high and yet the biggest danger posed by these attacks is families and children opting not to seek services from hospitals when in need and turning to unsafe traditional means. 'We are concerned that in most cases, the hospitals that have come under fire also happen to be the only remaining hospitals in those areas, putting healthcare out of reach for millions including displaced people. With at least 80% of hospitals in Sudan decimated by the conflict, all efforts need to be taken to protect the few standing health facilities still providing services.' Save the Children is urgently calling on the international community to redouble efforts to demand a ceasefire to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale-up of humanitarian assistance. This includes securing safe passage for food, medical aid, commercial supplies, and critical nutrition interventions for children suffering from wasting especially in the Darfur region. Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
Zawya
6 hours ago
- Zawya
Red Cross and Red Crescent network supports the African Union and its Member States' commitment to eliminate cholera by 2030
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in collaboration with its African National Society members, fully supports the African Union (AU) and its member states in their efforts to eliminate cholera across the continent. Forged during a high-level meeting of AU member states in June, this new commitment centers on strengthening community-based health services and epidemic preparedness, working closely with local communities to achieve lasting solutions. The IFRC commends the leadership and united commitment demonstrated by the Heads of State, Government, and Delegations, who gathered in June under the AU's framework to advance a strong and coordinated response to the ongoing multi-country cholera outbreaks, which in 2025 are affecting approximately 20 Member States. The IFRC and its African National Society members, fully endorse the priorities outlined in the Call-to-Action to End Cholera and Achieve Elimination by 2030 with particular emphasis on: • strengthening national and regional preparedness, • scaling up investments in sustainable water, sanitation and health (WASH) infrastructure, • placing communities and civil society at the heart of cholera elimination agenda. A deep community presence As auxiliary partners to public authorities in the humanitarian field, Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies in Africa bring unique value through their deep community presence, trusted local networks, and mandate to complement government action. With operations in all AU Member States, the IFRC and its African National Society members are uniquely positioned to deliver localised, people-centred responses that translate policy commitments into life-saving action. Recognising the cross-cutting impacts of cholera on already strained health systems—the Red Cross Red Crescent Network has scaled up its efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks through high-impact, community-driven interventions such as: Community-based Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT): Delivered at the household level via Oral Rehydration Points (ORPs), ensuring timely access to lifesaving care. Emergency water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions: Implemented in affected households and surrounding areas to stop transmission. Support to Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaigns: Including community mobilization, social mobilization, and logistics assistance. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE): Embedded across all pillars of response to promote behaviour change, drive surveillance, and enable early action. Cross-border collaboration facilitated to prevent, control and recover from cholera outbreaks at community level in collaboration with local authorities. In addition, the IFRC hosts the Country Support Platform (CSP), the operational arm of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control, which supports AU Member States in developing and implementing National Cholera Plans, accessing technical expertise, and mobilizing domestic and external resources. Aligned with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the Continental Framework for Cholera Elimination, IFRC is also investing in multi-hazard anticipatory action to prepare authorities, communities and other concerned stakeholders ahead of Cholera outbreaks. This is done in part through the development of Early Action Protocols, systems that trigger preparatory actions before a crisis hits. Such protocols empower African National Societies to act early by pre-positioning supplies, training volunteers, and accessing forecast-based financing enabling faster, more cost-effective responses before outbreaks escalate. With more than 3.8 million trained volunteers across Africa and a presence in every community, the Red Cross Red Crescent Network is well-positioned to bring life-saving interventions to those most at risk before, during and after outbreaks. Together, we can eliminate Cholera Cholera is preventable, and together, we can eliminate it. Our volunteers are trusted members of the communities they serve. Through early action, health education, and emergency interventions, we are proud to contribute to this continental ambition to eliminate cholera and protect lives. Through these efforts, the IFRC and African National Societies reaffirm their unwavering commitment to support AU Member States in achieving national and continental targets for cholera control and elimination. The IFRC is dedicated to working hand-in-hand with the African Union Commission, Africa CDC, Member States, and other partners to build resilient health systems, empower communities, and end cholera as a threat to public health and development across the continent. Together, we can defeat cholera and ensure that no one is left behind. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Zawya
a day ago
- Zawya
The World Health Organization (WHO) actively responds to anthrax epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
In mid-May, 57-year-old Pierre* was admitted to a health centre in the Lubero area after suffering from severe itching on his right hand, followed by pruritus and a swelling of his forearm. He was treated and, given the unusual symptoms, samples were collected and sent for analysis at the laboratory of the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Goma. An alert was previously issued at the end of March 2025 following the death of dozens of buffalo and hippopotamuses in Virunga National Park in North Kivu. Samples taken on 29 March from a recently deceased hippopotamus and examined at the Goma veterinary laboratory revealed the presence of spores of the bacillus responsible for anthrax. Anthrax is a bacterial zoonosis (disease transmissible from animals to humans) that generally affects ruminants (cows, sheep and goats). Humans can become infected through contact with a sick animal or contaminated products (such as meat, blood, wool, hides and bones). All forms of human anthrax (cutaneous, gastrointestinal and respiratory) require hospitalization and medical treatment. To ensure a multi-sectoral response to this concerning health situation, the national departments of health, environment, fisheries and livestock, with support from partners including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, FAO and CDC Africa, have put the 'One Health' approach into practice. The close collaboration between the human, animal and environmental health services is designed to protect lives in response to health emergencies. A delegation from these departments and organisations visited the Binza and Rutshuru health zones from 25 to 28 May 2025 to strengthen surveillance and the response to outbreaks of suspected cases of anthrax in the Binza and Lubero health zones. 'One of the high-impact measures led by the national authorities with the support of partners was the development of the national multi-sector anthrax preparedness and response plan. Through this common approach to the response, we can ensure a comprehensive response, from prevention activities to the clinical management of patients. We are confident that this health threat will soon be over,' said Dr Aline Katerekwa Ntamushigo, Medical Supervisor at the National Programme for Emergencies and Humanitarian Action (NPEHA). 'Our discussions with those involved on the ground are helping us to manage this risk effectively to protect people, animals and the environment.' Since the announcement of the epidemic, WHO has supported the response on several levels. Dr Célestin Ndaliko, epidemiologist in charge of surveillance at the WHO Office in the DRC, was a member of the response team that went to Binza. 'There are major challenges in terms of disease detection. So, every anthrax investigation becomes an act of resilience, a glimmer of hope to prevent the spread of this devastating disease.' As of 26 May 2025, 24 suspected human anthrax cases had been reported, alongside the deaths of 9 goats, one cow, 60 hippopotamuses and 27 buffalo reported in four health zones in the eastern province of North Kivu. 'Our support has been provided at several levels, and we are particularly keen to provide appropriate care for those affected. In most cases, the disease can be cured with antibiotics, which must be prescribed by a health professional,' explained Dr Leopold Ouedraogo, Emergency Manager in the provinces of North and South Kivu. WHO has made more than four tonnes of medicines available to 12 health facilities, a large quantity of which has been handed over to the authorities in the Binza health zone in Rutshuru territory. 'So far, even if our Binza health zone has not yet recorded any human cases, we have what it takes to prevent and be ahead of what could happen,' said Dr Bernard Kakule, Chief Medical Officer for the Binza health zone. WHO has played a central role in cross-border coordination between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, facilitating communication and collaboration between the two countries in response to the re-emergence of anthrax in humans and animals. Surveillance has thus been strengthened, notably by activating the 'One Health' unit in Rutshuru, to ensure early detection and rapid response in high-risk health zones by integrating the human, animal and environmental dimensions of health. To build local capacity, the WHO has also supported the training of community relays, the development of awareness-raising materials and the conduct of public and door-to-door awareness-raising campaigns on disease prevention measures. The Organisation also donated prevention kits (chlorine, hand sanitizers), essential medicines and medical equipment for treatment, and encouraged collaboration with technical partners such as INRB to improve epidemiological surveillance. Despite security and logistical challenges, WHO's support has enabled the foundations to be laid for a coordinated response, while highlighting the need for greater commitment to community awareness-raising, the safe management of carcasses and the vaccination of animals at risk. Since the epidemic was announced, 24 people have been treated in health facilities in the Binza and Lubero health zones, including Pierre, who has been discharged from the hospital and resumed his life. On the ground, our teams are still working hard to continue protecting people and their herds, working together in the face of a common threat. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - Democratic Republic of Congo.
