Addis Ababa: Ethiopia has vaccinated over 10 million people as part of a national campaign to contain the spread of an ongoing cholera outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. A national oral cholera vaccination campaign, launched recently to protect at-risk populations covering 89 districts across eight regions in Ethiopia, has achieved 98.4 per cent coverage, vaccinating over 10.19 million people, it said. According to the WHO, Ethiopia has reported 143 cholera-related deaths so far this year, with 19,271 cholera cases reported from January 1 to June 30. UN agencies and humanitarian partners have been calling for durable solutions to address the root causes of recurrent cholera outbreaks, which include poor-quality drinking water and open defecation. In most cases, faecal contamination of drinking water is the main source of cholera, with most cholera patients using unsafe drinking water.

Source: Ethiopian News August 08, 2024 22:28 UTC