CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN TOGO

UNCLAS LOME 000024 DEPT FOR OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI PGOV TO SUBJECT: CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN TOGO ¶1. Summary. The GOT announced on December 21 that cholera had been discovered in Togo. While only a handful of deaths have been reported, many people have been diagnosed with the disease. The government held a press conference to mobilize interested parties and discuss strategies for preventing the further spread of the disease. Overall, however, very little public official attention has been paid to this outbreak. End Summary. ¶2. During a December 21 press conference, Ministry of Health representatives said the first case of cholera in Togo was discovered August 26, 2008, and during the following three month period there were 302 registered cases and 3 deaths. Since that time, an additional 366 cases have been discovered, and 2 more people have died. In the last two weeks, the number of new cases has declined. The Minister of Health, Komlan Mally, told reporters that many neighborhoods in Lome have been touched and named those most affected, several of which are close to the embassy and embassy employee housing. ¶3. The government warned that cholera is easily transmittable, dangerous, and often fatal. Ministry officials noted that factors favoring the spread of cholera include a lack of potable water, poor personal hygiene, bad nutrition, and the environment in neighborhoods. To fight the further spread of the disease, they recommended close management of existing cases, and paying more attention to personal hygiene. HAWKINS