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Glide Number: EP-2023-000013-ZMB
Description of the Event
What happened, where and when?
The Ministry of Health declared the Cholera outbreak in Zambia in a Press conference on 26 January (source: https://fb.watch/imqJpL5EZq/?mibextid=NnVzG8). The Minister indicated that the Ministry is doing everything pos- sible to curb the transmission, the Provincial Health offices are supporting the District Rapid Response team to urgently control the spread of the disease.
The first case was reported on 21 January 2023 in Vubwi District and later on Mwansabombwe and Chipata Districts also started registering cases. At the beginning of the outbreak, Vubwi district registered 4 cases but within 3 weeks, cases started rising. As of 10th February, the 3 districts recorded a total of 118 cases and 2 deaths.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) declared the vigilance state to the population at risk in the 3 affected districts and requested all stakeholders, including Zambia Red Cross, to support the efforts to stop the spread of this outbreak. Efforts are deployed from partners to eliminate the risk but the floods situation across several districts exacerbate the WASH condition already representing the main risk factor in the country.
Zambia has experienced Cholera since 1977 with Lusaka being one of the main hotspots of cholera in the Country. However, apart from Lusaka and other known hotspots, analysis has shown that additional districts at high risk all share borders or roads with Zambia’s neighboring countries. This is the case for Vubwi, Chipata and Mwans- abombwe districts bordering Mozambique, Congo DRC and Malawi. The current outbreak is driven by cross-border transmission in addition to ZAMBIA's own socio- economic factors, and structural factors.
In 2022, Zambia experienced a Cholera outbreak in Lusaka District where 16 cases were recorded and was contained within a short period of time. The outbreak was confined to two areas within Lusaka and hence made it easy to manage and most people were vaccinated against the disease. The current outbreak is in a more rural setting than the previous outbreak. The affected and high-risk districts have poor health system, infrastructure and WASH facilities coupled with high Cholera transmission from the neighbouring countries, making the population more vulnerable to the outbreak. The flooding season is also exacerbating the situation especially in Lusaka and Southern provinces.
In Zambia, the Cholera prevention and control is guided by the Multi-Sectoral Cholera Elimination Plan (MCEP) 2021-2025 which is in line with the roadmap for the Global Task Force on Cholera Control’s (GTFCC). The elimination of Cholera in Zambia and surrounding countries can only be achieved through a coordinated sub-regional response of which efforts are being made for cross boarder coordination for the neighboring countries. Zambia is a landlocked country bordered by five cholera-endemic countries in the Cholera belt in Africa. Malawi and Mozambique to the east, DRC and Tanzania to the north, and Zimbabwe to the south. All experiencing regular cholera outbreaks and some with an ongoing cholera outbreak. The IFRC strategy to support the Zambia Red Cross response plan is aligned with this roadmap as well as current support in Mozambique and Malawi. Other bordering countries are under constant surveillance by National societies.