Since January 2024, Zambia has had an increase in cholera cases, with 700 deaths, according to a statement from the medical nonprofit Doctors Without Borders.
Since the outbreak began in October 2023, around 20,000 cases have been reported nationwide.
Although reports of the outbreak were first limited to Zambia’s two biggest cities, Lusaka and Ndola, the illness has already spread to every province in the nation and has the potential to spread throughout southern Africa.
Infections have already been documented in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, three nearby countries.
The administration of President Hakainde Hichilema has come under fire for allegedly lacking a robust reaction plan to combat the illness. The capital city’s enormous soccer stadium has been transformed into a rehab center.
A vaccination effort targeting 1.5 million people in areas considered to be at high risk of transmission was launched in January by the ministry of health.
The consumption of tainted food or water can spread cholera. The capital city of Lusaka has the highest number of cases that have been reported.
