Cholera has been reported in nine out of 10 regions of Zambia, over 400 deaths

The statement of the ministry has added that the outbreak of Cholera has affected more than 10,000 people, causing the authorities to order schools across the country to remain closed after the end of the year break. The outbreak of the disease in Zambia began in October, where 412 people have died so far, and 10,413 cases have been recorded. That is according to figures released on Wednesday by the Public Health Institute of Zambia, a government body that deals with health emergencies. Zambia's Minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo, said the outbreak, which she has described as a national disaster, continues to be a threat to the nation's health security. Sylvia Masebo According to Mrs. Masebo, most of the cases of infection are in the capital Lusaka, where the national football stadium with 60,000 seats has been converted into a medical center and is handling about 500 patients at a time. Zambia's health minister added that the country has received about 1.4 million doses of cholera vaccine from the World Health Organization [WHO] and they expect 200,000 more doses to arrive soon. Zambian government officials, including Mrs. Masebo herself, have given the cholera vaccine in public to encourage others to do the same. Following the outbreak of cholera, the Zambian Government announced in early January that all schools in the country, which were scheduled to open on January 8 for the new academic year, would not open until January 29. Cholera, which is mostly linked to poverty and lack of clean drinking water, has recently broken out in other southern African countries as well, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.../