See also:
» 08.12.2010 - Graft pauses Mali health aid
» 30.08.2007 - MALI: Child marriage a neglected problem
» 09.06.2007 - Cheap meningitis vaccine developed in West Africa
» 11.04.2007 - Mali finds no good way to boost health services
» 08.03.2007 - Mali govt to "beat malaria this year"
» 04.07.2006 - New centre to tackle bird flu across Africa
» 05.03.2004 - More than 2,000 cholera cases in Mali
» 23.01.2004 - Efforts against Guinea worm in Togo, Mali, Ghana











China wholesale online through DHgate.com


Houlihan's coupons


Finn autentiske matoppskrifter fra hele verden på Verdensmat.no:
Gazpacho Børek Kartoffelsalat Taboulé Gulasj Albóndigas Cevapi Rougaille Japrak sarma Zwiebelbrot Klopse Giouvetsi Paella Pljeskavica Pica pau Pulpo a la gallega Flammkuchen Langosj Tapenade Chatsjapuri Pasulj Lassi Kartoffelpuffer Tortilla Raznjici Knödel Lentejas Bœuf bourguignon Korianderchutney Brenneslesuppe Proia Sæbsi kavurma Sardinske calamares


Autentiske matoppskrifter fra hele verden finner du på Verdensmat.no:
Réunion Portugal Aserbajdsjan Serbia Tyskland Seychellene Bosnia Spania Libanon Belgia India Kroatia Hellas Italia Ungarn Komorene Georgia Mauritius Østerrike Romania Frankrike


Mali
Health

Cholera epidemic puts 500,000 Malians at risk

afrol News, 19 November - An estimated half a million people are at risk as cholera has broken out in southern Mali. The epidemic seems to spread downwards the Niger River. More than 50 people have already died and almost 700 are confirmed to be infected.

The international organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) estimates that half a million people are at risk by the cholera outbreak, which spreads through dirty water. The local population are mainly nomadic fishermen who rely on the river water for drinking, cooking and washing. "As a result cholera is spreading rapidly," MSF reports from Mali.

MSF today said it had sent a full charter with medical equipment and staff to Mali to curb a cholera epidemic that is spreading from the southern part of the country to the north. Over the past three weeks cholera cases were detected in the southern towns of Massina and Koulikoro.

A combined team of local health authorities and MSF staff that went to assess the situation found more cases. The highly contagious water-borne disease seems to be spreading along the Niger River in northern direction, with cases found in the larger towns of Ségou and Mopti as well.

- So far we have counted a total of 693 cholera patients of whom 55 people died, said Luc Derlet of MSF. "The seven cases that have been detected in Mopti, a bigger town to the north, are particularly worrying as they put a large population at risk. We are focusing on immediate isolation and treatment in a bid to stop the epidemic from spreading even further. A prevention programme is the next logical step," he added.

Mr Derlet further said that MSF was to open two or three cholera treatment centres along the Niger River, at places with the highest concentration of cholera cases, where the patients can be treated in isolation. "Another 15 smaller structures will be opened along the river as well to improve access to the more remote areas," he said.

- For this, our teams will mainly go by boat, Mr Derlet explained. "We will probably have eight international and around 20 national staff mobilised for this cholera emergency intervention."

MSF has sent the first cholera treatment kits from Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. The shipment from Ostend, Belgium, was of 30 tons of medical and logistical equipment and was to arrive yesterday. With this material, the treatment centres should be operational by mid next week.

- Once the cholera treatment centres are running properly, we will consider providing alternative and safe drinking water as well, to make sure that cholera will not spread further along the river, said Mr Derlet. "But this will take considerably more equipment and staff. We concentrate first on treating the patients and will expand or adapt our intervention according to how the outbreak develops."


- Create an e-mail alert for Mali news
- Create an e-mail alert for Health news


 
    Printable version


On the Afrol News front page now

Rwanda
Rwanda succeeds including citizens in formal financial sector

afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.

Famine warning: "South Sudan is imploding"

afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
Guinea
Panic in West Africa after Ebola outbreak in Guinea

afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia tightens its already strict anti-gay laws

afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia plans Africa's biggest dam

afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.



front page | news | countries | archive | currencies | news alerts login | about afrol News | contact | advertise | español 

©  afrol News. Reproducing or buying afrol News' articles.

   You can contact us at mail@afrol.com