In this file photo taken on October 26, 2022, patients infected in an outbreak of Vibrio cholera receive treatment in a mosque hall converted into a field hospital in the town of Bebnine in the Akkar district in north Lebanon. (IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP)
BEIRUT – The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that $10.2 million are required for public health-related response to the ongoing cholera outbreak in Lebanon.
"Lebanon is vulnerable to cholera, and this is being aggravated by prolonged economic conditions and scarce access to clean water and proper sanitation services across the country," Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO representative in Lebanon, was quoted by the statement as saying.
"We need to concert efforts to ensure that people have just access to health services, clean water, and sanitation and educate them on how to deal with cholera if any gets infected," he added.
Cholera is preventable through vaccination and access to safe water and sanitation, and can be easily treated with timely oral rehydration or antibiotics for more severe cases, Abubakar said recently.
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Lebanon has so far reported 2,524 cholera cases, including 416 lab-confirmed cases and 18 deaths, since the first cases were detected in early October, according to the latest figures by the health ministry. This is Lebanon's first cholera outbreak since 1993.