A dangerous outbreak of cholera will end the countries of Southern Africa
A severe outbreak of cholera is currently causing great concern to communities in Southern Africa, in what experts say is the worst epidemic to hit the region in more than a decade.
A severe outbreak of cholera is currently causing great concern to communities in Southern Africa, in what experts say is the worst epidemic to hit the region in more than a decade. Thousands of people have died, and thousands more have been infected by the diarrheal disease in at least seven countries. In some of the worst affected countries, the outbreaks forced millions of students to stay at home in January . Across the region, emergency response centers have sprung up in schoolyards and playgrounds, and are filled with patients suffering from pain. Fears are growing that if the outbreaks are not dealt with soon, health workers could be overwhelmed . In an emergency call to address the outbreak earlier this month, leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said they were working to stop the spread, but lack of clean water, weak border controls, and a global vaccine shortage could derail that effort. . Since January 2022, approximately 188,000 people have been infected with cholera in seven SADC countries which are Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 4,100 people have died, according to the United Nations humanitarian aid organization, OCHA . The disease has been spreading since 2022. Zambia reported its first case in October 2023 where more than 18,804 people were infected as of last Thursday, in what the government says is the country's worst outbreak ever. Approximately 658 people have died since October . Malawi, with at least 59,000 cases since early 2022, is also reporting its largest ever cholera outbreak. In Zimbabwe, 21,000 cases since February 2023 make this epidemic the second ever recorded. DRC, which is also a member of SADC, has the highest number of infections at 71,000 people, while South Africa has recorded the lowest number of cases, at 1,076 people . Cholera is spread when people drink water or eat food that has been contaminated. This disease is common in areas with poor sanitation, or in conflict areas where sources of drinking water can be contaminated with feces or dirty water from sewers .
