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Uganda: Cholera Outbreak - Feb 2012

Disaster description

The Ministry of Health reported cholera epidemics in six districts across the country with 724 cases and 28 deaths (CFR: 4%) registered between February and March 2012 (WHO, 31 Mar 2012). The first outbreak was confirmed on 14 Feb in the Mbale district in Eastern Uganda (IFRC, 5 Mar, 2012).

A smaller outbreak occurred in Kasese district in October 2011 (IFRC, 23 Nov 2011).

In May 2012, the Red Cross responded to an outbreak in three districts along Lake Albert and the River Nile in the western part of the country, where 477 cases and 11 deaths were reported (IFRC, 1 May 2012).

In response to the outbreak, Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) in collaboration with other partners engaged the affected communities through volunteers trained in the Epidemic Control for Volunteers (ECV) module and promoted Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST) activities. This led to increased public awareness in cholera prevention, active case search and referral and early treatment of cases which contributed to saving more than 41,008 lives in the affected districts. URCS branches in the target districts collectively mobilized 130 community based volunteers some of whom were already trained hygiene promoters, for cholera control sensitizations in the affected and at-risk communities. (IFRC Final Report, 20 Nov 2012)

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