World Health Organisation : Cholera Cases Continue To Increase In Iraq ...

Remember the extremely worrying reports we highlighted a while ago regarding the outbreak of cholera in Iraq?

Well, whether you do or you don't we want you to (carefully), peruse this particularly important piece recently provided by regular reader/commenter, Du.
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This posting - http://gorillasguides.com/2007/10/31/cholera-sitrep_30/ says this:

In the light of Maryam's concerns that data about this outbreak is being manipulated for political reasons we have made a change to the table showing the Laboratory confirmed cholera Cases in Irak henceforth the table will show:

The Increase in Reported Deaths since the last situation report.

The Increase in laboratory- confirmed case of cholera since the last situation report.

Additionally notes to the table will show any increase in the numbers of districts within a governorate reporting cases of Cholera.We've been concerned for some time that the data is being presented to western reporters in particular but also to Arabic media in a political way.

That is why we concentrate on the World Health Organisation reports.

They don't come out as often or as well as we might like but they are the only source of reliable data - even if they are very conservative figures.

If any of you know people writing about this or you write about it yourselves please cite the [official] W.H.O. figures. There is way too much spinning going on - particularly as the governorate election campaign is now gearing up.

Our info from the governorates is that preparations are very piecemeal -- chaotic is a word that comes back to us all the time from team members and correspondents. Let us all hope this outbreak does not spread. November and December are the two dangerous months.

Also the ethnic cleansing campaign in Ninewa, and At Ta'mim is getting very intense. As we come up to Article 140 voting this will get worse.

Du

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Iraq: Deadly Cholera 'Attack' ...

As if Iraq wasn't already (as near as damn it), a living hell on earth for each and every one of the the sorry souls presently sinking fast in the quagmire that country's become -- no matter which side, nor whatever cause said sorry souls are fighting for. Eh?

Remind us again, if you can, what was it that Donald Rumsfeld once (so sneeringly), said "happens"?

No matter, now. It's not important, now.

But believe us, this is something that is important now. As a matter of fact, this is a matter of life and death. Quite literally. Yet another one.

Deadly cholera outbreak in Iraq

An outbreak of cholera in two northern Iraqi provinces has killed eight people and infected 80 others, the Kurdistan Regional Government has said.

Kurdish Health Minister Zeryan Othman said local health authorities were also treating 4,250 suspected cases of the disease in Sulaimaniya and Tamim.

(snip)

A report by the UK-based charity, Oxfam, and the NGO Co-ordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI) last month warned that 70% of Iraq's population did not have adequate water supplies and that only 20% had access to effective sanitation.

(snip)

The minister said 2,350 people were also suffering from diarrhoea in Sulaimaniya and a further 2,000 in Tamim.

Read the relevant report from the BBC.

Weapons of mass destruction, anyone? Invisible insurgents? Enemies within? Maybe even elephants in living rooms, eh?