By Ebi Kesiena
Zambia is currently in discussions with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other collaborators to secure cholera vaccines amid an ongoing outbreak of the waterborne disease in the southern African nation, as reported by state media.
Roma Chilengi, the Director-General of the Zambia National Public Health Institute, stated that the government has been actively engaging with the WHO regarding the acquisition of cholera vaccines. According to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, he expressed optimism that the country could receive the vaccines before the end of the current month.
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Chilengi also mentioned that the government’s broader goal is to establish local production capabilities for these vaccines in the long run.
Zambia has been grappling with a cholera outbreak in specific districts since January of the previous year. Ministry of Health data indicates a recent surge in cases in October, spreading across 16 districts in six out of the country’s ten provinces.
In the last 24 hours alone, Zambia reported 257 new cases and 16 fatalities, with 186 individuals discharged. The total number of admissions to various treatment facilities stands at 455 people.
