Cholera threatens 1.1m pregnant women in Yemen, warns UN

The UN warned on Sunday that the unprecedented outbreak of cholera in Yemen threatens the lives of 1.1 million pregnant women suffering from malnutrition, Masralarabia.com has reported.

“These women need immediate care and reproductive health services,” insisted the Director of the UN Population Fund in the Western Area, Loai Shabaneh. He added his “deep concerns” about the cholera outbreak, noting that there are 2,000 new suspected cases every day.

Read: WHO warns of 300,000 cholera cases in 6 months in Yemen

The UN official noted that the conflict in Yemen has led to the deterioration of the health system and hindered patient access to healthcare services. He warned:

Pregnant women and nursing mothers who suffer malnutrition are prone to catching cholera and suffering its [deadly] consequences more than other people

Around 35 per cent of the healthcare centres which provide reproductive services are currently closed. Cleanliness and hygiene help to prevent the spread of cholera, he advised. The UN is distributing hygiene packs in an effort to curb the outbreak.