In a press conference held at the Aden Health Office, the Director-General of the Public Health and Population Office in the capital, Aden, Dr. Ahmed Al-Bishi, confirmed that the health situation in the capital is under control and there is nothing to raise fear and anxiety about the spread of cholera. He explained that the results of the examination in the central laboratory in Aden showed that there were only nine cases of cholera out of a total of 29 cases of diarrhea among Ethiopian immigrants who are currently placed in quarantine at the Friendship Hospital.

Dr. Al-Bishi confirmed that all the infected cases were illegal Ethiopian immigrants, who were treated by citizens and taken to the hospital for treatment. He also denied that there were any cases of infection among Yemeni citizens, except for one case who was hospitalized and was discovered after tests to have food poisoning.

He indicated that the health sector worked to treat these cases and detain them in quarantine, in line with the humanitarian mission it carries out. He also confirmed that the Public Health Office, the leadership of Aden Governorate, and the Ministry of Public Health have taken all precautionary measures, including coordination with the competent authorities such as health facilities and quarantines, security authorities, the Water Corporation, and the Cleaning and Works Fund. He stressed that everyone is in a state of high readiness to limit the spread of cholera, which has appeared in the governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa, and Hadramaut.

The Director General of the Public Health Office in Aden added that there is ongoing coordination and meetings between the leadership of the Ministry of Health and international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the International Organization for Migration, Doctors Without Borders and others to provide full assistance to prevent the spread of cholera.

The leadership of Aden Governorate communicated with the governors of neighboring governorates with the aim of isolating infected cases in their camps and preventing their movement to other governorates, especially to the capital, Aden, so that there would not be any pressure on Aden’s hospitals and lead to the spread of the disease.

At the conclusion of his statement, Dr. Al-Bishi reassured all citizens that the health situation is under control and there is nothing to raise fear or anxiety, calling on everyone to assume their responsibilities in taking precautionary measures because prevention is better than cure.

The press conference was attended by the Director of Epidemiological Surveillance and representatives of local, Arab and international media in the capital, Aden.