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Cholera spreading throughout Lebanon, WHO warns — Global Issues


First case reported to WHO by the Ministry of Health on October 6, and there have been 381 laboratory-confirmed cases.

While the outbreak was initially limited to the northern districts, it spread rapidlyWHO office aid in Lebanon, with laboratory-confirmed cases now reported from all eight authorities and 18 of the 26 counties.

Serotype Vibrio cholerae O1 El-Tor Ogawa was identified as an endemic cholera strain, similar to the one circulating in Syria.

Deadly, but preventable

“Cholera is deadly, but it is also preventable through vaccines and access to safe water and sanitation. Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative, said it can be easily treated with timely rehydration or antibiotics for more severe cases.

“The situation in Lebanon is fragile as the country has struggled to fend off other crises – combined with a prolonged political and economic downturn.”

WHO is working with the Department of Public Health to try to contain the outbreak, along with other humanitarian partners.

Together, they developed a national cholera preparedness and response plan, outlining the most urgent response interventions needed, and scaling up surveillance and active case detection in the event of an outbreak. have hot spots.

WHO support

Due to the shortage of both medical personnel and medical supplies in the country, WHO has provided two reference laboratories, three prisons and 12 designated hospitals to treat cholera with laboratory reagents. , treatment kits and rapid diagnostic tests.

The UN health agency has also deployed nurses and doctors as capacity boosters to hospitals in the worst-affected areas. The WHO says the procurement and pre-preparedness of additional cholera supplies is also being finalized.

In addition, WHO is ensuring that appropriate clinical management practices, infection prevention and control, and cholera testing procedures are in place to complement the increase in cases.

Following the WHO emergency response to the Cholera outbreak in Lebanon, the first shipment of the drug & amp;  Supply kits come from WHO's Dubai hub.

WHO

Following the WHO emergency response to the Cholera outbreak in Lebanon, the first shipment of the drug & amp; Supply kits come from WHO’s Dubai hub.

On-site training

In recent weeks, WHO has supported a series of training courses across the country to improve early detection and reporting of suspected cases, strengthen clinical management and raise public awareness and frontline medical staff.

Despite the global shortage of cholera vaccines, WHO is helping the Department of Public Health ensure 600,000 doses for those most at risk, including frontline workers, prisoners, refugees and community members. their co-host.

With the rapid spread of the disease, the agency is trying to determine more doses.

Economic depression

The vulnerability of people in Lebanon is exacerbated by the prolonged economic crisis and limited access to clean water and adequate sanitation across the country.

The migration of healthcare workers, disrupted supply chains, and unaffordable energy supplies have severely undermined the responsiveness of hospitals and primary care facilities. .

“There is still room to limit the spread and impact of the outbreak by strengthening response measures, including improving water quality and sanitation,” said Dr Abubakar.

Back to basics

“We also need to raise awareness about how to prevent cholera infection so that we can reduce the pressure on hospitals. The best way to prevent cholera outbreaks is to make sure people have access to clean water and proper sanitation.”

In the long term, he added, “we need to scale up the global vaccine supply as part of a comprehensive strategy to contain and contain cholera outbreaks.”

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