'Yemen has over 3,000 Dengue cases, figure expected to get higher' - WHO

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June 23, 2015 5:40 PM

According to WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier, the Saudi-led strikes which has crippled an already weak health infrastructure, and lack of water and sanitation facilities are worsening the situation.

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that over 3,000 dengue cases have been reported in conflict-ravaged Yemen since March.

According to WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier, the Saudi-led strikes which has crippled an already weak health infrastructure, and lack of water and sanitation facilities are worsening the situation.

He added that the number of cases are expected to be considerably higher.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infectious disease which is currently endemic in Yemen, and spikes every year between April and August.

Said Lindmeier,

“The crisis has severely impacted access to water and sanitation, preventive and clinical services as well as shelter, hundreds of cases are expected in alone in the coming weeks, access to care has been severely impacted with nearly a 50 percent drop in total consultations in 2015 since the conflict began,”

Dengue symptoms include severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting and circulatory system failure, and the disease can be fatal.

Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) estimates that over 2,600 people have been killed in Yemen, and almost 80%of the population, 20 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid.

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