Aden, 24 December (IANS). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Yemen is the most affected by cholera globally.
WHO said in a statement on Monday that by December 1, 2024, Yemen had recorded 2,49,900 suspected cases of cholera and 861 related deaths.
WHO said the latest figures show a significant year-on-year increase, with the number of cases and deaths reported in November 2024 increasing by 37 and 27 percent respectively compared to the same period in 2023.
Arturo Pesigan, WHO representative and head of mission in Yemen, was quoted as saying that outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera and acute watery diarrhea put additional burden on a health system already facing multiple disease outbreaks.
Pesigan said lack of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor access to timely medical treatment are exacerbating the crisis.
According to WHO, cholera infection has continued in Yemen for years, Xinhua news agency reported. Cholera outbreaks have increased between 2017 and 2020.
Despite efforts, the deteriorating humanitarian situation, as well as limited access to health services, is fueling the resurgence of the disease in the war-ravaged Arab country, which has been embroiled in a protracted conflict since late 2014.
Cholera is a bacterial infection of the small intestine by certain strains of the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal if untreated.
-IANS
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