Emergency Measures Activated Amid Cholera Crisis in Angola, Says Health Minister
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Luanda, Jan 11 (NationPress) Angola's Minister of Health Silvia Lutucuta revealed on Saturday that emergency measures have been initiated to combat the country's cholera outbreak, particularly in the Cacuaco Municipality of Luanda province, the hub of the illness.
According to Lutucuta, health officials have bolstered epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, allocated resources, enhanced public health messaging, and improved access to clean drinking water.
"Everything we are doing is to combat this disease," she stated.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health held a session of the Multisectoral Commission dedicated to tackling cholera at the General Hospital in Cacuaco.
Adao Silva, Director-General of the Public Water Company, mentioned that 17 community water tanks previously designated for drinking water have been sanitized, with the contents evaluated and drained. These tanks are now out of service to guarantee safer water for the residents affected.
The cholera outbreak in Angola has claimed 12 lives and led to 119 active cases, as reported by the Ministry of Health on Friday evening, according to Xinhua news agency.
Angola's Ministry of Health (MINSA) has revised and activated its national cholera response strategy, mobilizing medical resources and supplies. Key actions include enhanced epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, community outreach initiatives, and water and sanitation interventions, such as distributing calcium hypochlorite and disinfecting potable water tanks.
The ministry acknowledged difficulties in controlling the outbreak, particularly due to inadequate sanitation in affected regions and the absence of potable water systems in high-risk areas.
Of the 119 cases reported, 53 percent are female, and 47 percent are male. Eleven of the twelve fatalities occurred in Cacuaco.
The bulletin defines a cholera case as "a patient with severe or extreme dehydration or death due to acute watery diarrhea, with or without vomiting, in individuals over the age of two in areas where cholera is endemic." A confirmed case is described as "a suspected case where the cholera vibrio has been isolated in stool samples."
A timeline presented in the bulletin indicated that cholera symptoms were first detected in a patient on December 31, 2024.
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