Zambia steps up health campaign to combat Cholera as deaths increase

Zambian authorities have announced an increase in their health campaign to combat cholera, a disease that has been on the rise since October and has already claimed about a hundred deaths in the southern African country this year.

The Minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo, has called for more stringent hygiene measures in families, and her Water Minister, Mike Mposha, has stated that chlorine will be more extensively delivered to treat tainted water in cholera-affected areas

According to Sylvia Masebo, five deaths and 111 new cases of contamination were registered in 24 hours, owing to heavy rainfall, which exacerbated the transmission of the bacterial disease through contaminated water and food. This is 2023’s highest daily total.

According to the National Institute of Public Health, there have been 93 deaths this year from this severe diarrheal virus, with the majority occurring since October.

The mortality rate of the current epidemic, around 3%, is “very worrying”, she added, bearing in mind that internationally, it is less than 1%.

Zimbabwe, Zambia’s neighbour also affected by cholera, has declared a state of emergency.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 250 deaths have been recorded since February.

The World Health Organization has raised alarm about the rising number of cholera cases in recent years, with Africa bearing the brunt of the burden.

The number of cholera cases reported has more than quadrupled, rising from 223,370 in 2021 to 472,697 in 2022.

According to the UN health agency, there were already over 580,000 cases in September 2023.

Zambia is also experiencing its biggest anthrax epidemic since 2011. Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe have also reported anthrax occurrences this year, with a total of 20 deaths and approximately 1,100 suspected cases as of mid-December.