Lebanon already registers more than 530 total cases of cholera although without new deaths to regret

MADRID, 13 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Lebanese Ministry of Health has already registered 532 cholera infections since the outbreak last month of the first outbreak in 30 years in the country, although the death toll has remained stable at 18 for thirteen days and the number of hospitalized continues decreasing with each passing day, from 62 to 60 since last Saturday.

The eleven new cases registered during the last 24 hours continue to highlight the seriousness of an outbreak that has led the Lebanese authorities to start a three-week vaccination campaign on Tuesday, coinciding with the receipt of 600,000 doses of vaccines offered by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The cholera vaccination campaign began on Saturday morning in Bekaa and Akkar, in northern Lebanon, two of the most affected towns, where it will continue for the next 18 days.

About 200 people, including administrators and nurses, equipped by the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), were deployed in the morning in various towns in Akkar, where vaccination will be carried out according to a program determined by the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Fund United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

In addition, the United Nations announced this Thursday the delivery of 9.5 million dollars (a similar figure in euros) to support the country's efforts against cholera with an aid package that will be allocated in part to the national operations of the WHO. , UNICEF, UNHCR and other NGOs.

The authorities recall that the crisis is not yet over, especially in the most affected areas, in Akkar and the north, and to a lesser extent in Mount Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Baalbek-Hermel, especially considering that the The Lebanese Ministry of Health is monitoring around 2,200 possible suspected cases still pending confirmation.