The cholera epidemic continues to spread in Syria in the absence of a government role to address the main causes of its spread.

Magazine_18_March

Baraa Al Aodat

The number of confirmed cases of cholera in Syria has risen to 914, while the number of deaths from the disease has reached 44, according to what was stated by the Syrian Ministry of Health.

While the number of cases reached 150, and the number of deaths reached 28 in the regions of northern Syria, according to the Free Idlib Health Directorate.

In the south of Syria, the number of cases has reached 5 in Daraa Governorate, where the first outbreak of the disease was recorded in Daraa Governorate on September 25, and the reasons for the outbreak of the epidemic are due to several reasons, the most important of which is polluted water, as Daraa Governorate suffers from pollution of drinking water recently. Where complaints began to be submitted to the Directorate of Water Resources in Daraa Governorate 3 years ago.

In this context, Mr. Abdullah, a citizen of the city of Daraa, told March 18 website: The main reason for the pollution of drinking water in the city of Daraa is the flooding of sewage into the Al-Ashari basin that feeds the city, where the Daraa Provincial Council is still idle and unable to deal with it, the reason behind this flood.

Farmers in large areas of the Daraa countryside also suffer from a lack of irrigation water and dry wells, as is happening, for example, in the town of Kharab al-Shahem, west of the city of Daraa, forcing citizens to use sewage water to irrigate their crops.

In a related context, the Jordanian authorities closed the Jaber border crossing, opposite the Syrian Nassib crossing, to trucks loaded with goods, fruits, and vegetables coming from Syria, fearing an outbreak of cholera.

In the same context, Dr. Ziyad al-Mahamid, the doctor in charge at Daraa al-Balad Medical Center in Daraa governorate, told March 18 website: Cholera is an intestinal disease that was previously widespread due to poor sanitation, and has recently returned to Syria, especially in the northeastern governorates, such as Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and Hasakah. Now, its spread has increased in the coast and southern Syria.

The main cause of the cholera epidemic is a germ called Vibrio cholerae, which is the germ responsible for this disease. The disease is transmitted from one patient to another through the fecal-oral route. One of the causes of infection is crops and vegetables that are watered with stagnant water (wastewater). Here, any crops that are watered with this water must be destroyed.

As for when asked about how the disease is detected in suspected cases, Al-Mahamid said: It is detected by the presence of watery diarrhea with a whitish color. As for the methods of treatment, Al-Mahamid said: The best method for treatment is to replace the fluids that the human body loses, because in some cases of severe diarrhea the body loses its fluid reserves and leads to death due to dehydration in the body. When asked about ways to prevent the epidemic, Al-Mahamid said: Sterilizing drinking water, disinfecting it with chlorine and monitoring its sources are the most important reasons for avoiding infection with the disease.

Al-Mahamid also recommended that isolation centers should be opened in areas where the epidemic is spreading, because isolation, as he described it, is the most important reason for the decline of the epidemic, because at the present time health centers lack cholera vaccine.

In 2008 and 2009, Syria recorded the last outbreaks of the disease in the governorates of Deir ez-zor and Raqqa, according to the World Health Organization.

The disease annually affects between 1.3 million and four million people in the world, and leads to death between 21 and 143 thousand people.

The complete absence of officials of government departments in the Ministry of Health in the Syrian government, and a great disregard for the water crisis and its scarcity in Daraa Governorate in particular, and Syria in general.

The question remains preoccupying the Syrian citizen’s mind… Syria to where…?