Red Cross Responds to Cholera Outbreak in Sierra Leone
Red Cross Responds to Cholera Outbreak in Sierra Leone
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) are responding to a growing cholera crisis in the capital Freetown and surrounding areas.
GENEVA, Switzerland, August 17, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) (http://www.http://www.ifrc.org/) and the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) (http://www.sierraleoneredcross.net/) are responding to a growing cholera crisis in the capital Freetown and surrounding areas.
SLRCS Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/sierra-leone-red-cross.jpg
Sierra Leone’s government has declared the cholera outbreak as a national emergency after 176 deaths and 10, 800 cases were reported since January. There has been a spike in reported cases since mid-July and the onset of the rainy season. Over the past 5 weeks, 6000 cases alone have been confirmed. But there are fears that many other cases have not been officially reported.
“This current outbreak of cholera has the potential to be devastating and is proving very difficult to control,” said Amanda McClelland, IFRC Emergency Health Coordinator. “We are particularly concerned by the rising numbers in Freetown which suffers from overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of safe water access – all factors which contribute to this deadly disease. There have been over 250 patients a day in Freetown health centres in just the last week.”
The IFRC has launched an emergency appeal for 1.1 million Swiss francs to help the SLRCS to strengthen its response against the epidemic.
“The level of funding we have now is simply not enough to handle this emergency”, says McClelland. “We need to mobilize and act now and prevent as many deaths and new cases as possible. To wait
Category: Africa News
