Zambian authorities have announced a second postponement of the school year due to a worsening cholera outbreak that has claimed over 500 lives. Schools were initially set to reopen on January 8th, but the date was pushed back to January 29th last week.
Citing a rise in confirmed cases, Education Minister Douglas Syakalima announced a further delay during a press briefing on Wednesday. “The Ministry of Education has been advised to postpone the school opening date again, to February 12th, 2024,” he stated.
The outbreak, centered in the capital Lusaka, is fueled by the highly contagious cholera bacteria, typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. Zambia has been grappling with the disease since October 2023.
“Over the past 24 hours, we recorded 438 new cases and six deaths,” reported Health Minister Sylvia Masebo. This brings the total death toll to 518, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
To combat the outbreak, Zambia received a crucial shipment of over one million oral cholera vaccines from the World Health Organization (WHO) last week. Minister Masebo confirmed that over 1.4 million people have already been vaccinated.
Additional measures implemented by the Ministry of Health include restricting the number of mourners at cholera-related funerals to five individuals.
The WHO has expressed growing concern over the recent surge in global cholera cases, with Africa disproportionately affected. Zambia’s ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak and protect its citizens, including the delayed school reopening, underscore the seriousness of the situation.
