Sudan (Northern States) - Medair health staff are responding to an outbreak of whooping cough in two remote West Darfur communities, despite difficulties in reaching the affected population.

Two weeks ago, a report came in about two cases of whooping cough (also known as pertussis) in Kondobe, a village of around 10,000 people situated 20 kilometres north of the state capital, El Geneina. By last week, it had risen to 147 cases in Kondobe, and 11 in Bir Dagaig, a village a further 10 kilometres north.

This is only the latest tragedy to befall the communities of Bir Dagaig and Kondobe, which have suffered through a drought and four years of conflict, including the displacement of an entire village in October last year.

"Whooping cough is a particularly dangerous disease," explains Dr. David Sauter, Medair's Operations Manager. "It is an important cause of infant death, around the world."

In Kondobe and Bir Dagaig, many of the affected people are over five years of age, including many adults. This suggests that recent immunisation has protected some of the younger children, but that the general population is at greater risk because they have had little access to routine immunisation over the years.

Medair health staff in El Geneina are in daily phone contact with the clinic staff in Kondobe, to provide advice and updates. Although insecurity means it is impossible for staff to travel to Kondobe by road, additional medical supplies have been dispatched by truck.

"Restrictions on helicopter flights mean we have been unable to visit this area since mid-December," said Simon Manning, Medair's Acting Desk Officer for Sudan, "but we hope that a team of medical staff will be able to visit Kondobe on a United Nations helicopter flight, later this week."

The risk of the bacteria spreading is heightened by the number of displaced people who are living in close proximity to each other

"Many of the people currently in Kondobe used to live around Bir Dagaig, until insecurity forced them to flee their homes last year," said Mr. Manning. "They are now staying with relatives or living under plastic shelters because of the cold season. These poor living conditions facilitate the spread of viruses and bacteria, such as whooping cough."

Medair has supported the Ministry of Health clinic in Kondobe since 2002. Despite the heightened risk of the disease spreading at this time of year, its staff are expressing cautious optimism that the outbreak may soon be under control.

"Despite the dramatic rise in cases last week, no further cases have been reported in recent days," said Mr. Manning. "We will monitor the situation as closely as possible, and are hopeful this outbreak will soon be over."

Medair is an international non-governmental organization (NGO), based in Switzerland. It has worked in Sudan since 1995, and in West Darfur since 2001, where Medair currently provides access to primary health care, and water & sanitation for up to 200,000 conflict-affected persons. These activities are carried out in collaboration with the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the Ministry of Health, and other Government of Sudan agencies, as well as UNICEF, United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Financial support is received from the governments of Switzerland (SDC), the United Kingdom (DfID), the United States of America (USAID/OFDA), and other private donors.

Elsewhere in Sudan, Medair works with war-displaced people in Khartoum; and supports access to primary health care, and safe water & sanitation in the Nuba Mountains area of South Kordofan. In Southern Sudan, Medair provides emergency medical and water assistance for outbreaks, large people movements, and nutritional emergencies in a number of locations across the region, as well as improving access to primary health care and safe water sources in Upper Nile.

Medair's life-saving activities are dependent upon private financial support. To contribute to this work, please visit www.medair.org (Sudan section).