To combat cholera in Yemen, one scientist goes back to basics
As epidemic rages on, health care system is close to collapse
Rowa Mohammed Assayaghi teaches people how to wash their hands. In Yemen, that’s life-saving work.
The Middle Eastern country is facing the world’s largest cholera outbreak, with nearly 409,000 suspected cases and 1,885 deaths from late April to late July, the World Health Organization reports. That tally is higher than 2015’s worldwide reported cholera deaths. A bacterial infection spread by feces-contaminated water, cholera causes diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. The outbreak, which began in October 2016 and ramped up in April, is a result of a two-year civil war.