The cholera outbreak in Lusaka, Zambia, has claimed the lives of over 400 people, with 10,000 more affected since its onset in October 2023.
The Zambian government has reported cases across the county. The capital city, Lusaka, has been the hardest hit, forcing officials to convert a major soccer stadium into a treatment facility to manage the influx of patients.
The disease, characterized by acute diarrhea, is often linked to poverty and insufficient access to clean water. It spreads through contaminated food or water, posing a significant threat in areas lacking proper sanitation facilities.
Despite cholera’s potential for rapid and effective treatment, the fatality rate in Zambia’s current outbreak is alarmingly high at around 4%, compared to the typical rate of less than 1% when treated promptly.
In response to this public health emergency, the Zambian government has initiated a mass vaccination campaign and is providing approximately 634,000 gallons of clean water daily to affected communities.
The National Disaster Management Agency has been mobilized to tackle the crisis. However, more than half of the fatalities occurred before patients could receive medical attention, underscoring the challenges in healthcare access and disease management.
This outbreak is the most severe in Zambia in two decades. Health Minister Sylvia Masebo has emphasized the nationwide scale of the problem, asserting its threat to national health security.
Zambia’s cholera situation is part of a broader pattern in Southern Africa. Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have also experienced recent outbreaks. Since the beginning of 2023, Southern Africa has witnessed more than 200,000 confirmed cholera cases and approximately 3,000 fatalities.
Contributing factors include unusually heavy rains, storms, and climate change effects, such as more frequent and intense storms.
The Zambian government’s efforts include delaying the opening of schools, initially planned for January 8, 2024, to January 29, 2024. The measure echoes regulations requiring schools to be cleaned and inspected, echoing precautionary measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
