IRIN: A country ‘on its knees’: Cholera takes hold in war-weary Yemen
“…Shinjiro Murata, head of mission for Médecins Sans Frontières, which alone has treated 1,670 patients, told IRIN he is ‘very concerned that the disease will continue to spread and become out of control.’ Those controlling the capital — an uneasy alliance of Houthi rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh — have this week declared a ‘state of emergency’ in the city, which alone has 4,000 cases of cholera…” (Almosawa/Slemrod, 5/17).

PRI: Thousands in Yemen get sick in an entirely preventable cholera outbreak
“Cholera is spreading rapidly across Yemen just ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to its northern neighbor, Saudi Arabia. Aid groups say Yemen’s medical system, ruined by the war, needs a break from the fighting that Saudi Arabia — and the United States — have enabled…” (Snyder, 5/15).

Reuters: Yemen cholera cases could hit 300,000 within six months: WHO
“Yemen could have as many as 300,000 cases of cholera within six months, the World Health Organization representative in the country, Nevio Zagaria, told reporters in Geneva by phone on Friday…” (Miles, 5/19).

Reuters: Spread of combat, cholera wreaks misery, collapse in Yemen
“…The escalating outbreak of disease and displacement of tens of thousands by recent fighting has inflamed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, pushing Yemen’s war-pummeled society ever nearer to collapse…” (Browning/Ghobari, 5/16).

U.N. News Centre: U.N. aids Yemenis in embattled Mokha; warns of cholera’s spread amid crippled health systems
“…[T]he U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [Tuesday] announced that inferior health systems and water supply provisions are raising concerns for health, particularly for the youngest Yemenis. More than 11,000 cases of diarrhea have been reported across the country, with more than 250 confirmed cases of cholera. UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac calls the situation a ‘public health crisis in the making’…” (5/16).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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