Highlights
• Somalia has had uninterrupted cholera transmission in 28 drought- affected districts since 2022 and in Banadir region since the drought period of 2017.
• During week 27, 247 new suspected cases with no associated deaths were reported from 28 drought-affected districts. The number of reported cholera cases has decreased by two-fold in Dolow. However, a twofold increase has been observed in Belethawa in the past two weeks. (Table 1).
• Since epidemiological week 1 of 2023, a total of 10 933 suspected cases of cholera including 30 associated deaths (CFR 0.3%) were reported from 28 districts of Somalia.
• The overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.3% reported from 28 drought-affected districts is below the emergency threshold of ≥1%.
• Since epidemiological week 1, 2023 a cumulative attack rate (CAR) of 256 cases per 100 000 population was reported.
Belethawa (2722 cases per 100,000), Afmadow (1036 cases per 100,000 Dolow (1249 cases per 100,000) and Luuq (594 cases per 100,000) have reported the highest CAR amongst all the affected districts (Table 2).
• Of the 1250 stool samples collected since epidemiological week 1 2023, 37 (2.9%) stool samples were tested positive for Vibrio cholerae 01 serotype Ogawa.
• WHO and health partners have scaled up implementation of cholera response interventions in drought affected districts focussing on Jubaland state which is the current epicentre of the current outbreak.