伊拉克北部爆發霍亂，庫德政府衛生部門警告，倘若不改善供水衛生，疫情很可能持續擴散。
衛生官員歐斯曼（Zryan Osman）強調，倘若政府不正視污水問題，霍亂疫情勢必持續爆發至不可收拾的地步。世界衛生組織（WHO）表示，該區至少已有6900例通報病情。
霍亂常透過受污染的水或食物傳染，造成嚴重痢疾，並可能有生命危險。
根據WHO的紀錄，第一個確定病例是8月14日在克庫克省（Kirkuk）的患者。病例通報後，政府已開始消毒淨水，並特別在感染區通氯消毒飲用水。
「政府可透過清理供水系統來控制疫情，」蘇拉曼尼亞省（Sulaimaniyah）衛生官員阿度拉（Sherko Abdulah）認為，「疫情並非取決於健康保健，而是繫於政府的疾管措施。」
國際救援機構和伊拉克官員幾年來不斷警告，低落的公共衛生和基礎建設都可能使伊拉克隨時爆發傳染病。
WHO 4月曾指出，80%伊拉克民眾缺乏基本衛生設備，70%民眾沒有乾淨用水；WHO認為，伊拉克人民健康問題和動亂頻仍脫不了干係。然而，相對較不受戰爭影響的蘇拉曼尼亞省，卻是霍亂疫情最嚴重的區域。
庫德居民抱怨政府賺取該區油田利益，卻罔顧民眾基本公衛設施，許多民眾認為這次霍亂疫情正反應當地政府的失敗。
The Kurdistan Regional Government's health minister has warned that cholera outbreaks in the north could spread if the government does not improve its water supply.
"If the government doesn't fix the dirty water problem, the cholera outbreak will continue and a huge disaster will occur," said KRG minister of health Zryan Osman.
The World Health Organization, WHO, meanwhile, reports that at least 6,900 cases of acute diarrhoea had been recorded.
Cholera is a potentially life-threatening diarrhoeal disease that infects humans through contaminated water or food.
WHO reported that the first confirmed case came from Kirkuk on August 14; that the government has since put in place measures to improve water safety and sanitation; and provincial authorities are chlorinating water in the affected districts.
"The water systems need to be cleaned, and then we can control the disease," agreed Sherko Abdullah, head of healthcare in Sulaimaniyah province. "The problem isn't with the healthcare, it's with the services."
International aid agencies and Iraqi officials have warned for years that Iraq could face disease outbreaks because of poor sanitation and infrastructure.
WHO in April said that 80 percent of Iraqis lack adequate sanitation and 70 percent do not have regular access to clean water. The organization's report linked violence and health problems in Iraq. Yet Sulaimaniyah - which has remained relatively immune from the conflict in Iraq - has been hit hardest by the cholera outbreak.
People in Iraqi Kurdistan maintain that the government is not providing even basic services despite its relative stability and growing oil revenues. Many argue that the cholera outbreak is an example of how the regional authorities - which have a high level of autonomy from Baghdad - have failed them.
全文及圖片詳見ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
