At least 75 people have lost their lives to cholera in Somalia since January, signaling a distressing escalation in new cases, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Human Services. With a total of 7,235 new cases recorded, of which 64% were classified as severe, the outbreak’s severity is evident. Specific regions such as Bossaso, Bulo Burte, and Mahaday reported higher fatality rates, indicating localized challenges in containing the outbreak.
Cholera, a highly infectious intestinal disease transmitted through contaminated food and water, poses a grave public health concern, particularly in regions lacking adequate sanitation infrastructure. The vulnerability of women to cholera is emphasized by the fact that 51% of reported cases were female. Children under five are disproportionately affected, constituting 58% of reported cases, necessitating urgent targeted interventions to safeguard this vulnerable demographic.
The ongoing cholera outbreak in Somalia is primarily attributed to the lack of access to safe water and sanitation facilities, exacerbating the spread of the disease. The situation has been further exacerbated by El Nino-induced flooding in late 2023, which inflicted significant damage on many areas in Somalia, exacerbating the cholera crisis, according to the United Nations.
Somalia has been grappling with uninterrupted transmission of acute watery diarrhea/cholera since 2022, with the Banadir region particularly affected since the drought of 2017, as reported by the World Health Organization. In 2023, over 18,300 cumulative cases and 46 deaths were reported, with children under the age of five comprising over half of the cases, underscoring the urgent need for sustained efforts to address the underlying factors contributing to cholera transmission and mortality rates.
