UGANDA: Cholera kills 40 Congolese in overcrowded refugee camps

A cholera outbreak in overcrowded refugee camps in Uganda has killed about 40 people and infected more than 2,000 as health workers rush to stem the spread, aid agencies said on Thursday. The waterborne disease has spread rapidly since mid-February due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water in the camps, said IFRC emergency […]

A cholera outbreak in overcrowded refugee camps in Uganda has killed about 40 people and infected more than 2,000 as health workers rush to stem the spread, aid agencies said on Thursday.

The waterborne disease has spread rapidly since mid-February due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water in the camps, said IFRC emergency operations coordinator Andreas Sandin.

“The risk is definitely not over yet,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone, adding that aid agencies have set up treatment centres and are trucking in water in response.

Most people recover from cholera if treated promptly with oral rehydration salts, but can die within hours if not.

The people fleeing Congo’s Ituri province cross Lake Albert in boats to reach Uganda. More than 80 percent of the arrivals are women and children, with many in poor health, said the IFRC.