Water Minister affirms to enhance efforts to combat cholera

YemenExtra

SH.A.

Minister of Water and Environment Nabil Abdullah Al-Wazir stressed on the importance of enhancing efforts against cholera epidemic.

The move came during his meeting with the Ministry’s Emergency Operations Room and its exerting efforts to reduce the spread of the epidemic in Sanaa, Hajjah, Hodeidah and Dhamar.

The Minister stressed the need to develop training programs to qualify cadres of the sector in how dealing with the epidemic.

Caused by a water-borne bacterial infection, cholera is transmitted through contaminated food or water, or through contact with fecal matter or vomit from infected people. A patient can lose up to 25 liters of fluid per day.

Cholera can cause severe diarrhoea and vomiting, and rapidly prove fatal, within hours, if not treated. But cholera is very simple to treat – most patients respond well to oral rehydration salts, which are easy to administer.

In more serious cases, intravenous fluids are required. Ultimately, no-one should die of cholera but in Yemen hundreds do each year.