25 February 2020 - The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen reported 9422 suspected cases and two associated deaths during epidemiological week 51 (16 – 22 December) of 2019 with 11% of the cases reported as severe. The cumulative total number of suspected cholera cases from 1 January 2018 to 22 December 2019 is 1 220 264, with 1525 associated deaths (CFR 0.12%). Children under five represent 26% of the total suspected cases during 2019. The outbreak has affected 22 of the 23 governorates and 315 of the 333 districts of Yemen.

Suspected cholera cases at the country level started to be increasingly reported from week eight of 2019 and the trend continued until week 14 when the number of cases reached more than 29 500, the highest number of cases reported so far in a single week. The number of suspected cases fluctuated over the following period with the trend now considered as stable during the past three weeks based on the average number of cases calculated between weeks 49 and 51.

The governorates reporting the highest number of suspected cases of cholera during 2019 are Al Hudaydah (132 113), Amanat Al Asimah (107 433), Sana’a (107 082), Ibb (77 338), Hajjah (76 181), Dhamar (67 298), Taizz (55 385) Amran (50 804).

Of a total of 9,919 samples tested at the central public health laboratories since January 2019, 5,356 have been confirmed as cholera-positive by culture. During this reporting period the governorates reporting the highest number of positive cultures were Amanat Al Asimah (1471), Taizz (1400), and Sana’a (479).

WHO continues to provide leadership and support for activities with health authorities and partners to respond to this ongoing cholera outbreak including case management; surveillance and laboratory investigations; hotspot mapping and oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign planning; water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH); and risk communication.

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