Zambia’s Cholera breakout has taken the lives of over 400 individuals and infected more than 10,000. Till January 12, it has affected a total of 39 districts in 9 provinces. The government has shut down educational institutions in most of the areas. A vaccination campaign has been started by the nation as well as organized by the disaster management agency. Moreover, the team is also finalizing the revised Emergency Response Plan. Health workers said they are scrambling to contain the crisis that has potential to be the worst the country has seen so far since 1977.
The first case of cholera was reported back in October, 2023 since then there had been a sharp rise in instances. The peri urban areas of Lusaka province were the first to hit, registering the highest number of cases. The Ministry of Health recorded a startling 175% spike in mortality and 71.2% cases in just one week. There is an urgent imperative to intensify community engagement and bolster the supply of water in affected areas, coupled with continuous monitoring of water quality.