Luanda: At least 87 suspected cases of cholera have been registered in the last 24 hours in four provinces of Angola, according to the newsletter of the Ministry of Health, responsible for the daily dissemination of cholera data in the country.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the affected provinces include Luanda with 40 cases, Bengo with 36 cases, Icolo e Bengo with 9 cases, and Zaire with 2 cases. The report also stated that three deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, two in Luanda and one in Bengo. Currently, 178 people are hospitalized with cholera.
Since the beginning of the outbreak, Angola has reported a total of 1,459 cases. The cases are distributed as follows: 933 in Luanda, 275 in Bengo, 238 in Icolo e Bengo, 4 in Huambo, 3 each in Malanje and Zaire, 2 in Hula, and 1 in Cuanza-Norte. The ages of those affected range from two to 100 years old.
The outbreak has impacted 738 males and 721 females, resulting in 57 deaths. Luanda has experienced the highest number of fatalities with 37 deaths, followed by Bengo with 13, and Icolo e Bengo with 7. The most affected age group is children aged two to five years, with 241 cases and 10 deaths, followed by those aged 10 to 14 years, with 189 cases and four deaths.
The Ministry of Health has called for cooperation from the public and urges communities to seek immediate medical attention if anyone experiences symptoms such as liquid diarrhea and vomiting. The Ministry also advised the population to consume boiled water or water treated with bleach and to prepare a homemade serum to prevent the spread of the disease.