The UN warns about the current outbreak of cholera in Burundi

Jan. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations has warned this Thursday about the current outbreak of cholera registered in Burundi, which has reached at least 73 confirmed cases in less than ten days.

“From Burundi, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the current cholera outbreak there is the most worrying the country has faced in several years,” said the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric.

Dujarric recalled that the Burundian Ministry of Health declared the cholera epidemic on January 1 of this year, managing the response with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), several NGOs and the Red Cross.

At the moment, there are 73 suspected cases, 21 confirmed cases, 20 people hospitalized and one death, according to the country’s health authorities.

The cases, according to a last balance, have been found in four districts of the country, due to insufficient drinking water, as reported by the newspaper ‘Iwacu’.

“The response includes medical services and assistance to increase access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation facilities to prevent the spread of cholera among communities at high risk,” the spokesperson explained.