Zambia starts vaccination campaign in cholera-affected district

According to state media reports on Wednesday, the cholera vaccination campaign in Nakonde district began Tuesday, targeting those aged one and above, with 200,000 doses received, said District Health Director Philip Munkonge.

"We are hopeful that the administration of the vaccine will be successful so that people can get immunity from contracting the disease," Munkonge was quoted by the Zambia Daily Mail as saying.

He added that public awareness efforts were conducted, and all preparations were finalised to ensure proper vaccine administration.

He further said that 781 shallow wells in cholera-prone areas have been treated to ensure that people have access to clean water.

Cholera broke out in the district in December, with 17 cases reported so far. All patients have been treated and discharged, with no new cases reported in the past four days.

The district was among those affected during Zambia's cholera outbreak from October 2023 into 2024, which resulted in over 20,000 cases and more than 700 deaths nationwide, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoea. infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio Cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and is an indicator of inequity and lack of social development. Researchers have estimated that every year, there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths worldwide due to the infection.

Cholera is an extremely serious disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. It takes between 12 hours and 5 days for a person to show symptoms after consuming contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.