MIDDLE EAST: Jordan, Syria adopt differing approaches to cholera threat
Source: IRIN
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AMMAN/BAGHDAD/DAMASCUS/DUBAI, 9 October 2007 (IRIN) - As cholera awareness posters have been going up in Baghdad, countries
bordering Iraq have also taken measures to prevent an outbreak of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been advising countries in the region to boost their defences against cholera,
after reports that cholera had crossed the Iraqi border into Iran where at least 45 people had been infected. The Jordanian Ministry of Health has begun implementing a contingency plan, Ali Assad,
head of the National Committee for Epidemics at the ministry, told IRIN. However, the possibility of closing the borders has been ruled out by officials. "We have the anti-cholera treatments to
deal with the disease in case it appears. But for now there is no need to close the borders if we follow scientific methods in handling the disease," said Bassam Hijawi, head of the Ministry of
Health's Disease Control Department. Air passengers The Jordanian and Iraqi governments have agreed that air passengers from Iraq be screened and provided with the necessary preventative
medication either before they embark on flights to Jordan or when they land in Amman. Passengers are also given certificates by the Iraqi side indicating that they are cholera-free. "No
treatment will be given to those holding certificates indicating they have taken preventative medication. The certificates of treatment must be stamped by the government of Iraq and approved by the
WHO in order to avoid having people showing fake certificates," said Hijawi. He said Jordan had agreed with Iraq that any passengers suffering from stomach problems would not be allowed to fly to
Jordan. The Health Ministry also plans to scrutinise the treatment being given to Iraqis living in Jordan, mainly in densely populated areas. "We want to make sure proper measures are taken
when dealing with possible cholera patients," said Assad. At least 700,000 Iraqis live in Jordan, the majority of whom arrived after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. All passengers coming
from Iraq are asked to disclose necessary information about their work and place of residence in Iraq as well as in Jordan. The measures also ban the importation of foodstuffs other than canned food
into Jordan. Officials at the Department for Epidemics said dozens of laboratory technicians had been sent to different parts of the kingdom to conduct tests and make sure the country remained
cholera free. Iraq has been grappling with an outbreak of cholera - 3,300 cases and 14 deaths since August - blamed on poor quality water supplies and a lack of sanitation. "People must be
careful about what they eat and when they go to toilets," said the Health Ministry's Hijawi, who believes that all the measures taken will not guarantee the disease will not enter Jordan, which
has been free of the disease since 1981. "It is impossible to prevent cholera or any other disease from entering the kingdom. We are doing our best and hopefully very few or no cases
appear," he said. Syrian measures Syria, however, has yet to implement direct measures to counter cholera. The authorities have not initiated any screening for incoming Iraqis for
cholera-related symptoms. However, with medical supplies readily at hand and with Syria having now all but closed its borders to Iraqi refugees, it is hoped that the disease can be contained within
Iraq. Syrian witnesses on the border, as well as a doctor at Al-Tanf Palestinian refugee camp on the Syrian side of the Iraq border, report no known cases of the disease. "There are no cases
of cholera in the camp. I have not heard of any symptoms in al-Tanf or al-Walid camp," said Ahmad Hassan, adding that he was able to send urine and blood samples to Syrian hospitals and would
monitor the situation. Although refugee camps are feared to be at risk because of poor sanitation, Syrian camps now have access to medical supplies, as well as clean food and water. Refugees in
Syria have been warned of the outbreak by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). mbh/jl/ar/cb© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: <a
href="http://www.IRINnews.org">http://www.IRINnews.org</a>
