Ethiopia Initiates Cholera Vaccination for 1 Million Vulnerable Individuals
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Synopsis
The Ethiopian government has rolled out a cholera vaccination campaign aimed at protecting one million people in the Gambella Region, responding to a severe cholera outbreak exacerbated by ongoing humanitarian challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Ethiopia targets one million individuals for cholera vaccination.
- The campaign focuses on the Gambella Region and refugee camps.
- WHO and humanitarian agencies urge urgent action against cholera.
- Cholera outbreaks are spreading from South Sudan into Ethiopia.
- Environmental hygiene is crucial in preventing outbreaks.
Addis Ababa, April 1 (NationPress) The Ethiopian government has initiated a cholera vaccination initiative in the southwestern region of the country, aiming to protect approximately one million individuals deemed at risk.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health announced that the vaccination effort will take place across all zones within the Gambella Region and in various refugee camps over the upcoming week.
This initiative comes in response to calls from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and multiple humanitarian organizations for unified actions to contain the cholera outbreak that is rapidly spreading through the Gambella Region, which shares a border with South Sudan.
The Ethiopian Minister of Health, Mekdes Daba, emphasized at the launch event that beyond enhancing access to cholera vaccinations, it is crucial to uphold environmental and personal hygiene as vital preventive measures against cholera outbreaks.
On Monday, the international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) cautioned that a humanitarian crisis is unfolding rapidly on both sides of the South Sudan-Ethiopia border, with increasing violence, displacement, and a widespread cholera outbreak pushing communities to their limits.
MSF highlighted that South Sudan has been struggling with cholera outbreaks since last year, noting that the latest wave, which originated in Upper Nile State, is now creeping further into the country and across the border into Ethiopia's Gambella Region.
The WHO has also sounded the alarm over the swift transmission of the disease, indicating that the outbreak, first identified in Gambella's Akobo District early last month, has since proliferated to eight districts and four refugee camps, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Humanitarian organizations are urgently requesting support for health facilities and the delivery of safe water, as unsafe water and a lack of hygiene and sanitation are contributing to the spread of cholera.
They further stated that the escalating conflict between government forces and armed factions in South Sudan's Upper Nile State has resulted in increased cross-border movement, with refugees and the injured fleeing to Ethiopia, which further intensifies the cholera outbreak in Ethiopia's Gambella Region.
