Angola's cholera outbreak has now claimed 329 lives, the World Health Organization said Saturday, warning that the risk of further transmission in the country and surrounding areas was "very high".
The resource-rich African nation has been experiencing a substantial cholera outbreak since January, with a total of 8,543 cases as of March 23. Angola struggles with high poverty rates and poor sanitation despite its oil wealth.
The WHO said the outbreak had rapidly spread to 16 out of Angola's 21 provinces, affecting individuals of all age groups, with the highest burden among those aged under 20. "The Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners, is managing the cholera outbreak response through case detection, deployment of rapid response teams, community engagement and a vaccination campaign," the UN health agency said.
"Given the rapidly evolving outbreak, ongoing rainy season, and cross-border movement with neighbouring countries, WHO assesses the risk of further transmission in Angola and surrounding areas as very high."
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ