Cholera hits Niger's starving

2005-07-29 15:06

Geneva - Five people have died from cholera in Niger, the United Nation's health agency said, warning that disease could spread rapidly among hundreds of thousands of people weakened by the country's food emergency.

"If we are not there now and with sufficient funds, the number of deaths could be dramatic," said World Health Organisation (WHO) crisis expert Pino Annunziata. "Cholera is already there."

Annunziata, who has just returned from a mission in Niger, said the death rate among the 49 cases of cholera found in the southwestern area near Tahoua was high, at least five times the usual fatality rate of 1% to 2%.

"This is already an indicator that this disease is affecting already weakened bodies," said Annunziata.

The cases were recorded from July 13 until Thursday.

"We are expecting an increase in communicable disease and deaths from communicable disease," Annunziata said, citing cholera, malaria, measles, tuberculosis and diarrhoea.

- AFP