Angola Faces Cholera Crisis: 170 Cases and 15 Fatalities
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Luanda, Jan 12 (NationPress) Angola has reported 170 cholera cases as of 6 p.m. local time, announced the Ministry of Health.
In the last 24 hours, there have been three cholera-related deaths and 51 fresh cases confirmed on Saturday. The outbreak has now expanded to two more municipalities in the capital province of Luanda.
In response to the worsening situation, national emergency measures have been initiated since the first confirmed case emerged on Tuesday, according to reports by the Xinhua news agency.
Earlier on Saturday, Silvia Lutucuta, Angola's Minister of Health, declared that emergency response strategies are in place to tackle the cholera outbreak, especially in the Cacuaco Municipality of Luanda province, which is at the heart of the crisis.
According to Lutucuta, health officials have ramped up epidemiological and laboratory monitoring, allocated resources, enhanced public health messaging, and improved access to safe drinking water.
"Our efforts are solely focused on combating this disease," she stated.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health gathered a meeting of the Multisectoral Commission to tackle cholera at the General Hospital in Cacuaco.
Adao Silva, the Director-General of the Public Water Company, mentioned that 17 community water tanks previously designated for drinking purposes have been cleaned, with their contents analyzed and drained. These tanks are now out of service to ensure safer water access for the affected population.
The Ministry of Health (MINSA) has revised and activated its national cholera response plan, mobilizing medical resources and provisions. Key strategies include improved epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, community communication campaigns, and water and sanitation measures, such as distributing calcium hypochlorite and disinfecting potable water tanks.
The ministry has pointed out challenges in managing the outbreak, especially concerning inadequate sanitation in impacted regions and the absence of potable water systems in high-risk areas.
The bulletin defines a cholera case as "a patient exhibiting severe or extreme dehydration, or death attributable to acute watery diarrhea, with or without vomiting, in individuals over the age of two in regions where cholera is present." A confirmed case is "a suspected case where the cholera vibrio has been isolated in stool samples."
