Based on the large number of outbreaks and their geographic expansion, alongside the shortage of vaccines and other resources, WHO continues to assess the risk at global level as very high.
The Zambia National Public Health Institute reported an outbreak of cholera in Lusaka in October 2023. Since October 2023, there have been 8,276 cumulative cholera cases, with 333 deaths, and a case fatality rate of 4% which is four times the World Health Organization threshold. To subscribe please click tau.id/2iy6f and access our live channel.
Nearly a year has passed since WHO classified the global resurgence of cholera as a grade 3 emergency, the highest internal level for a health emergency requiring a comprehensive response at the three levels of the organization.
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Cholera and its affects
Cholera is an acute diarrhea infection caused by a bacteria that is typically spread via contaminated food or water. The disease is strongly linked to poverty and inadequate access to clean water. Cholera has been detected in nearly half of the country’s districts and nine out of 10 provinces, and the nation of about 20 million people has been recording more than 400 cases a day.
Symptoms of Cholera
- profuse watery diarrhea, sometimes described as “rice-water stools”
- vomiting
- thirst
- leg cramps
- restlessness or irritability
Preventive Measures
- Use bottled water or water that has been properly boiled, chlorinated, or filtered using a filter that can remove bacteria, to brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, and make ice or beverages
- Wash hands often with soap and safe water
- Use toilets
- For food remember to: boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it
- Take oral rehydration solution (ORS) immediately
- Seek prompt medical attention
Recent Data
The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, called the fatality rate of around 4% in the three-month outbreak “a devastatingly high number.” When treated, cholera typically has a death rate of less than 1%. More than 200,000 cases and over 3,000 deaths have been reported in southern Africa.
The majority of the cases have occurred in December 2023 and January 2024. Lusaka is the worst-affected province with 7,783 suspected cases of cholera since October 2023, but all provinces with the exception of Luapula have reported cholera cases.
Government Measures
A large soccer stadium in the capital city has been converted into a treatment facility. The is embarking on a mass vaccination program and says it’s providing clean water 2.4 million liters a day to communities that are affected across the southern African nation.
WHO is currently reviewing its response to cholera globally to identify key lessons and make evidence-based adjustments where needed to better coordinate activities in the coming months.
