LUSAKA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 85 cholera cases have been recorded in eastern Zambia following fresh outbreaks of the waterborne disease, health authorities said Thursday.
Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said the cases have been recorded in five districts following the first cases recorded in Chipata, the capital of Eastern Province, last month.
She, however, said in a statement released in parliament that no deaths have been recorded so far and that 83 of the 85 people who were admitted to hospital have been discharged.
The health authorities, she said, have since launched a multisectoral response strategy to actively and timely control the outbreak as quickly as possible.
"The response is focused mainly on case management, providing and promoting the use of clean and safe water, and ensuring good sanitation. The teams are also promoting good hygiene practices at both household and community levels," she said.
The ministry, she added, intends to commence administration of oral vaccines, especially in the provincial district, with a total of 345,000 doses expected to be administered.
While revealing that the ministry has managed to successfully control the 2023 cholera outbreak, the minister expressed concern that sporadic cases in some major cities were been reported.
Zambia recorded more than 20,000 cholera cases from October last year and over 700 deaths, one of the worst cholera outbreaks the country has recorded.
