WHO sets up 17 cholera treatment centres in Ethiopia to combat outbreak

Addis Ababa, Feb 20: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that it has established 17 standard cholera treatment centres in Ethiopia to support the country's efforts in combating a cholera outbreak.

The UN health agency said on Monday in a statement that the newly established treatment centres will play a crucial role in improving the availability, accessibility and quality of patient care for cholera treatment, Xinhua news agency reported.

"This initiative, which is critical for saving lives, ensures that those affected receive rapid and effective care and treatment," the WHO added.

It said the 718-bed capacity cholera treatment centres, which are equipped with the necessary medical equipment, are self-contained medical facilities with designated rooms for screening and triage, observation, admission, recovery, waste disposal, laundry, chlorine preparation, kitchen, and morgue, among others.

The WHO said it has also distributed and posted printed standard case management and follow-up protocols at treatment centres.

According to the WHO, the death toll from the ongoing cholera outbreak in Ethiopia had reached 468, with 32,548 cholera cases reported across the East African country as of January 30.

Amid the spread of the cholera outbreak in Ethiopia, UN agencies and humanitarian partners have been calling for durable solutions to address the root causes of recurrent cholera outbreaks in the country, which include poor-quality drinking water and open defecation.

Several reports have raised concerns that fecal contamination of drinking water is the main cause of the cholera outbreak in the country, with most cholera patients using unsafe drinking water.