32 diarrhoea deaths in Sudan’s El Gezira

The Sudanese Health Ministry reported the death of 32 people who were infected with acute watery diarrhoea in the state of El Gezira, following conflicting reports about the epidemic.

The acting Minister of Health, Imadeldin El Jag, attributed the causes of the disease to the contamination of drinking water, environmental degradation, and the spread of flies when the Ministry reported the death toll on Thursday.

Reports about the casualty number in the eastern Sudanese state conflicted this week. These numbers were lower than the 32 people now identified to have succumbed to infection.

The authorities in El Gezira decided to stop the school activities in El Managil locality for a week so students avoid contracting the disease.

Speaking to the press on Thursday, Abdelbagi Mohamed Ali, Legislative Council member in El Gezira, said that a team of doctors, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and civil society organisations deployed to the area to provide medicines, IVs and water purifiers.

In late September, the Sudanese Health Minister, Bahar Idris Abu Garda, confirmed the deaths of 71 and infection of 3,771 people due to the epidemic in six States including Kassala, El Gedaref, Sennar, El Gezira, the Blue Nile and the River Nile.