Cholera Emergency – UN Raises Concerns as Outbreak Sweeps Through 10 African Countries
Cholera is causing a major problem in Africa, and the UNICEF is deeply concerned about it. Zambia and Zimbabwe are facing a serious situation, with many people getting sick, and unfortunately, some are even losing their lives.
Dr. Paul Ngwakum, who works with UNICEF in East and Southern Africa, says that the cholera problem is because of bad water, not being clean, and not staying healthy. The weather is also changing a lot, making floods and droughts happen more often. This is making the situation worse in these countries.
In Zambia and Zimbabwe, many more people are getting sick with cholera after the holidays. Kids are getting sick a lot in Zambia; more than half of the cases are in kids under 15 years old. This shows how urgent it is to do something about the outbreak.
A lot of people are dying from cholera, which is not normal. Zimbabwe has had over 17,000 cases and 384 deaths in just the start of 2024. The disease keeps spreading to new places, making it a major public health threat.
Zimbabwe is facing problems with not having enough clean water. People have no choice but to use dirty water from open sources. Trash is not being picked up, and there are issues with dirty water from sewage, making more people get sick.
The health minister of Zimbabwe, Douglas Mombeshora, says the government is trying to stop the sickness. They are cleaning up the capital, Harare, and getting chemicals to treat water. However, there still isn’t enough clean water to go around, making it challenging to control the spread of cholera.
Itai Rusike, from the Community Working Group on Health in Zimbabwe, is asking the government to declare it a big problem so that other countries can help. This would allow groups like WHO, UNICEF, and USAID to come quickly and provide assistance in controlling the cholera outbreak.
UNICEF is worried that if they don’t stop the sickness, schools will have to close, just like what happened in Zambia. This would be a big problem for the children’s education and well-being. The government needs to take immediate action, ensuring the supply of clean water, fixing sewage problems, and informing people about how to stay safe from cholera. Everyone is hoping for quick and effective help to stop the cholera outbreak and prevent further harm.
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