An outbreak of cholera in Adjumani District has resulted in four confirmed cases and the hospitalization of nine others. Those affected, asylum seekers from Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, crossed into Uganda at Elegu’s border point of entry on Sunday.
The confirmed cases are currently receiving medical care at Nyumanzi HC III within the Nyumanzi Refugee Transit Centre in Dzaipi sub-county.
Dr. Dominic Drametu, the Adjumani District Health Officer, explains that upon their entry into Uganda, the individuals experienced vomiting and watery stools, prompting them to seek medical attention at the private Vitality Medical Centre in Elegu town council, Amuru district.
The Elegu Port health focal point person notified health authorities, leading to the emergency evacuation of the suspected cases to the Nyumanzi isolation unit.
Out of the five samples sent for investigation at the Central Public Health Laboratory in Kampala, four tested positive for cholera. Mr. Lamot Loius Patrick, the Port health focal point person, alerted Adjumani on January 21, 2024, about the 14 suspected cholera cases detected at Elegu’s Point of area neighborhood.
District authorities attribute the outbreak to inadequate health services in conflict zones and transit areas, exposing asylum seekers to various epidemics, including cholera.
Paul Olony, the Adjumani district surveillance focal person, reports that, as of now, no deaths related to the disease have been recorded. Over 80 contacts of the cholera cases are being traced and monitored at the Nyumanzi reception centre.
Adjumani district, with a population of approximately 457,754, including 218,954 refugees due to internal conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan, faces ongoing health challenges.
Cholera, caused by the Vibrio Cholera bacterium, is characterized by acute watery diarrhea, and severe cases can lead to death within hours if untreated.
Globally, cholera remains a significant public health threat, reflecting issues of inequity and social development. Researchers estimate 1.3 to 4.0 million cases and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths worldwide due to cholera each year, according to the World Health Organization.