KHARTOUM, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Dozens in Sudan's White Nile State have died in watery diarrhea which broke out two weeks ago, local media reported on Wednesday, citing official statistics.
In a report to the Council of States in Khartoum, White Nile State Governor Abdul-Hameed Musa Kasha said 49 people have died and 2,755 others infected, while another report by Sudanese Doctors' Central Committee said 62 death cases have been reported and 1,800 infections monitored, news website Sudan Tribune reported.
"The lethal watery diarrhea has widely spreaded in White Nile State and reached the outskirts of Khartoum and Gezira States," said the committee's report.
The committee urged the relevant authorities to acknowledge the existence of a "health catastrophe" in White Nile, adopt urgent quarantine measures, provide personal hygiene tools and accelerate provision of free intravenous solutions and essential vaccines.
It also demanded training specialized teams to prevent the epidemic spread of the disease, identifying the causes of the disease spread and determining the most vulnerable people to the infection.
Meanwhile, members in the Council of States urged declaring a state of emergency, transferring the state's budget and attracting international funds to combat the disease.
They also expressed concern that the disease may spread inside the refugees' camps, which may result in a disastrous health situation across the country.
The White Nile State is hosting around 140,000 South Sudanese refugees who fled the war and famine in their country.
Also on Wednesday, Sudan's First Vice President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh held a meeting in Khartoum with Health Ministry officials, directing them to contain the disease spread through quick and effective interventions.
During August and September 2016, watery diarrhea hit Sudan's Blue Nile and other states, leaving more than 55 dead with 2,619 infection cases.
