Hepatitis E outbreak kills 25 pregnant women in Niger refugee camp
Niamey — Bad water and hygiene have led to an epidemic of hepatitis E that has killed 25 people over several months in a refugee camp in Diffa, a region in southeast Niger, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Wednesday. "The current hepatitis E epidemic is closely linked to a lack of water, hygiene infrastructure and sanitation," MSF said in a statement. The site of attacks from the jihadist group Boko Haram since 2015, Diffa sits on the border with Nigeria and harbours at least 300,000 refugees and displaced people living alongside an already poor population, according to UN figures. The UN has called on the international community to increase financing of aid to the region. Between December 2016 and April 23, 25 pregnant women died of the disease and 135 cases were identified in Diffa, according to MSF. "Water and sanitary services clearly do not meet the needs of this population," said Elmounzer Ag Jiddou, who heads MSF’s work in Niger. MSF is focusing on early detection of th...
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