2023  South Africa cholera outbreak | |
|---|---|
| Disease | Cholera |
| Location | South Africa |
| Dates | 1 February 2023 – present |
On 1 February, 2023, a cholera outbreak began in South Africa. [1] [2] As of 26 August, 2023, 1,290 cases had been reported. [1]
| 2023 South Africa cholera outbreak | |
|---|---|
| Disease | Cholera |
| Location | South Africa |
| Dates | 1 February 2023 – present |
On 1 February, 2023, a cholera outbreak began in South Africa. [1] [2] As of 26 August, 2023, 1,290 cases had been reported. [1]
The first cases of cholera were reported on 1 February 2023. [1]
In May, the Gauteng province health department declared an outbreak in Hammanskraal. [3] Fifteen deaths and 41 cases had been recorded as of May 22. [3] Residents blamed the local government for failing to provide adequate potable water. [3] [4]
By July 10, nearly 50 deaths had been recorded, [5] most of which occurred in Hammanskraal. [5]
On 16 January 2024, the health ministry confirmed two cases through laboratory tests in Limpopo province. [6]
The seventh cholera pandemic is the seventh major outbreak of cholera and occurred principally from the years 1961 to 1975, but the strain involved persists to the present. WHO and some other authorities believe this should be considered as an ongoing pandemic. As stated in its cholera factsheet dated 30 March 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to define this outbreak as a current pandemic, and with cholera having become endemic in many countries. In 2017, WHO announced a global strategy aiming to end this pandemic by 2030.
The 2008 Zimbabwean cholera outbreak was an epidemic of cholera affecting much of Zimbabwe from August 2008 until June 2009. The outbreak began in Chitungwiza in Harare Metropolitan Province in August 2008, then spread throughout the country so that by December 2008, cases were being reported in all 10 provinces. In December 2008, The Zimbabwean government declared the outbreak a national emergency and requested international aid. The outbreak peaked in January 2009 with 8,500 cases reported per week. Cholera cases from this outbreak were also reported in neighboring countries South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia. With the help of international agencies, the outbreak was controlled, and by July 2009, after no cases had been reported for several weeks, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare declared the outbreak over. In total, 98,596 cases of cholera and 4,369 deaths were reported, making this the largest outbreak of cholera ever recorded in Zimbabwe. The large scale and severity of the outbreak has been attributed to poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and insufficient healthcare infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe.
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Seven cholera pandemics have occurred in the past 200 years, with the first pandemic originating in India in 1817. The seventh cholera pandemic is officially a current pandemic and has been ongoing since 1961, according to a World Health Organization factsheet in March 2022. Additionally, there have been many documented major local cholera outbreaks, such as a 1991–1994 outbreak in South America and, more recently, the 2016–2021 Yemen cholera outbreak.
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The 2018 Équateur province Ebola outbreak occurred in the north-west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from May to July 2018. It was contained entirely within Équateur province, and was the first time that vaccination with the rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine had been attempted in the early stages of an Ebola outbreak, with a total of 3,481 people vaccinated. It was the ninth recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
This is a general overview and status of places affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human cases of COVID-19 were identified in Wuhan, the capital of the province of Hubei in China in December 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). China was the first country to experience an outbreak of the disease, the first to impose drastic measures in response, and one of the first countries to bring the outbreak under control.
The first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Yemen was announced on 10 April 2020 with an occurrence in Hadhramaut. Organizations called the news a "devastating blow" and a "nightmare scenario" given the country's already dire humanitarian situation.
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Events in the year 2023 in South Africa.
The 2023–2024 Zambian cholera outbreak is currently one of the most severe health crises in the country's recent history, with its origins traced back to January 2023. The outbreak initially surfaced in Vubwi District in the Eastern Province and Mwansabombwe District in Luapula Province. By October 2023, the Zambia National Public Health Institute reported a cholera outbreak in the capital, Lusaka. Cholera cases have so far broken out in 15 districts in five out of the country’s 10 provinces, with Lusaka, the country’s capital recording the highest number of cases. Of particular concern is the rapid progression of the outbreak within Lusaka, where, within a week, the Ministry of Health reported a surge of 71.2% in cases and a staggering 175% increase in fatalities. Partners affiliated with DG ECHO actively collaborate with the Ministry of Health, providing crucial support in various capacities. Initiatives include community sensitization and risk communication, distribution and control of chlorine at critical water points, contact tracing, and the management of oral rehydration points within Lusaka. There is an urgent imperative to intensify community engagement and bolster the supply of safe water in affected areas, coupled with continuous monitoring of water quality.
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