Africa-Press – Eswatini. Eswatini has been declared cholera-free by African health ministers, with no deaths recorded, despite ongoing outbreaks in several neighbouring countries.
The announcement was made during the ongoing 76th East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) Health Ministers Conference, currently underway at Happy Valley Resort in Ezulwini.
A presentation to the conference revealed that the cholera outbreak in the WHO African Region in 2024 has affected 14 countries: Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
However, the situation remains most severe in DRC, Ethiopia and Nigeria, which are currently classified as being in an acute crisis.
Delegates noted that the Western and Eastern sub-regions, now in their rainy seasons, are experiencing resurging outbreaks. The El Niño phenomenon has contributed to droughts in countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe, while increased rainfall has caused flooding and landslides in parts of Kenya and Tanzania.
Health experts warned that these climatic conditions may worsen cholera transmission and increase the risk of outbreaks in districts and countries that had previously controlled the disease or not reported new cases. The seasonal nature of cholera continues to pose a major challenge.
Member states were urged to strengthen cholera preparedness and readiness through heightened surveillance and scaled-up prevention and control measures, particularly in communities and at border crossings, to ensure early response and reduce cross-border transmission.
According to the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), 112,301 cholera cases and 1,900 deaths were reported between January and 31 July 2024, representing a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.7%. Five countries – Comoros, DRC, Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – accounted for 83.4% of cases and 86.4% of deaths reported during this period.
In July 2024 alone, nine countries reported 6,092 new cases and 99 deaths, with a CFR of 1.6%.
Since January 2022, a cumulative total of 399,508 cholera cases, including 7,023 deaths (CFR 1.8%), have been recorded across the region. DRC, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe account for more than 72% of total cases and 62% of deaths, with active transmission currently reported in nine countries.
While cholera cases in 2024 declined by 16.5% compared to the same period in 2023, deaths decreased only marginally by 0.2%, largely due to high mortality in the Southern sub-region earlier this year. Outbreaks in Zambia and Zimbabwe have since been brought under control.
Health ministers emphasised the importance of early case detection, community-based management, establishment of oral rehydration points (ORPs), and timely referrals to cholera treatment centres and units (CTCs/CTUs) to further reduce fatalities.
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