An extraordinary summit of the Community of Southern African States is being held this Friday, February 2 in Angola to address the cholera epidemic spreading in southern Africa. Since last October and the first cases recorded in Zambia, eight countries in the region have been fighting this epidemic, the worst the region has seen in years. More than 200,000 cases were recorded across the region in January.
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The epidemic has been hitting several countries for several weeks of the sub-region. Heads of state and government are meeting this Friday, February 2 to take stock of this epidemic and examine their response capabilities. There is urgency, because in addition to the lack of access to drinking water, which aggravates the epidemic, there is the cross-border movement of populations – particularly after the holidays. Malawi reaches a record with 59,000 cases recorded over one year.
Zambia has recorded 432 deaths since January and experienced one of the most rapid infections last month with more than 3,500 cases in a single week, pushing the total number of cases to more than 12,000. The government has also postponed the start of the school year to try to curb the epidemic. And requisitioned the national football stadium in the capital to open treatment centers.
Zimbabwe, which has reported 300 deaths and has 20,000 cases of illness, had to declare a state of health emergency in its capital Harare where the health infrastructure is dilapidated. The government launched a vaccination campaign at the start of the week. Neighboring Mozambique is not spared.
As for the DRC, more than 600 cases have been recorded in the two provinces of Haut-Katanga alone (16 deaths of which have been recorded since January) and Lualaba, which borders Zambia. A military training center is particularly affected, reports our correspondent in Lubumbashi, Denise Maheho.
This is the Mura military training center located more than 120 km north of Lubumbashi. According to the provincial Minister of Health, this institution has been recording cases of cholera for more than a week. Doctor Joseph Nsambi, however, did not give figures on the cases specifically notified by this institution. But sources speak of eight deaths among recruits at the Mura military training center. The provincial Minister of Health nevertheless wanted to be reassuring about the response undertaken: “ From the first hours of notification of the cases, the province had already reacted by making a batch of drugs available. And another batch arrived here at the center. Care is provided normally because there are motivated medical staff on site and benefit from the supervision of center managers. »
In 2023, the DRC recorded more than 53,000 cases of cholera, including 441 deaths.
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