Geneva: The Angola cholera epidemic has killed more than 300 people since January, with thousands of infected while the disease is spread quickly in most of the country, warned the World Health Organization (WHO).
The epidemic now won 329 lives, said that on Saturday, warning that the risk of additional transmission in the country and the surroundings was “very high”.
The African nation rich in resources has experienced an epidemic of substantial cholera since January, with a total of 8,543 cases recorded on March 23. Angola has trouble with high poverty rates and poor sanitation despite its oil wealth.
The WHO said the epidemic quickly spread to 16 of the 21 provinces of Angola, affecting individuals of all age groups, with the highest charge among people under the age of 20.
“The Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO and Partners, manages the response to the cholera epidemic through case detection, the deployment of rapid response teams, community engagement and a vaccination campaign,” said the United Nations Health Agency.
“Given the rapidly evolving epidemic, the current rainy season and the cross -border movement with neighboring countries, which assesses the risk of additional transmission in Angola and the surroundings as very high.”
Namibia, the neighbor in southern Angola, recorded his first case of cholera in almost a decade, said the African Union health agency earlier this month. The 55 -year -old woman recovered and was released from the hospital.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria, often from faeces.
It causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and muscle cramps.
Cholera can kill in a few hours when it is not treated, although it can be managed with simple oral rehydration and antibiotics for more serious cases.
There has been a global increase in cholera cases and their geographic spread since 2021.
Between January 1 and March 23 of this year, a total of 93,172 cases and 1,197 deaths were reported in 24 countries, with 60% of cases in Africa, WHO said.
