Most Angolan cholera victims under 5

GENEVA – More than a third of the victims of Angola’s cholera epidemic are under the age of 5, worsening one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, Unicef said on Friday.

The UN Children’s Fund cited a government tally of 1 189 deaths and 32 324 people who have fallen ill with cholera since the outbreak was reported in mid-February in Luanda. The current fatality rate of about four per cent is far above the one per cent the World Health Organisation considers average.According to preliminary estimates by Unicef, about 35 per cent of the cholera victims have been under 5.”Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to dehydration from diarrhoea caused by cholera and the current crisis threatens to exacerbate their already fragile health situation,” Akhil Iyer, head of Unicef in Angola, said in a statement.Diarrhoeal diseases are one of the main causes of death among children in Angola, accounting for 18 per cent of child mortality every year.Unicef also warned that while the epidemic has reached a peak in some provinces, it is still in early stages in other parts of the country.Almost 500 new cases, sometimes more, are reported daily.Some believe the number could climb to over 70 000 cases by September if the outbreak is not contained, Unicef said.Cholera is a major killer in developing countries.It is transmitted through contaminated water and is linked to poor hygiene, overcrowding and inadequate sanitation.- Nampa-APThe current fatality rate of about four per cent is far above the one per cent the World Health Organisation considers average.According to preliminary estimates by Unicef, about 35 per cent of the cholera victims have been under 5.”Children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to dehydration from diarrhoea caused by cholera and the current crisis threatens to exacerbate their already fragile health situation,” Akhil Iyer, head of Unicef in Angola, said in a statement.Diarrhoeal diseases are one of the main causes of death among children in Angola, accounting for 18 per cent of child mortality every year.Unicef also warned that while the epidemic has reached a peak in some provinces, it is still in early stages in other parts of the country.Almost 500 new cases, sometimes more, are reported daily.Some believe the number could climb to over 70 000 cases by September if the outbreak is not contained, Unicef said.Cholera is a major killer in developing countries.It is transmitted through contaminated water and is linked to poor hygiene, overcrowding and inadequate sanitation.- Nampa-AP