Over 400 lives claimed as Zambia faces deadliest cholera outbreak in 20 years - Reporter Joseph Bonner

Zambia is currently facing a severe cholera outbreak that has resulted in over 400 deaths and more than 10,000 infections. As a result, schools in the country have been ordered to remain closed after the holiday season. A soccer stadium in the capital has been converted into a treatment center, and the government is launching a mass vaccination campaign while providing clean water to affected communities. The outbreak began in October and is strongly linked to poverty and inadequate access to clean water. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has referred to the fatality rate of around 4% as "devastatingly high," considering that treated cholera typically has a death rate of less than 1%. Similar outbreaks have occurred in neighboring countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, resulting in over 200,000 cases and 3,000 deaths in southern Africa since the beginning of 2023. Malawi experienced its worst cholera outbreak in decades in 2023..

Reporter Joseph Bonner

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
This is another news update. Iam your host, Joseph Bonner. Welcome
to the show. Let's get intoit. Over four hundred lives claimed as
Zombia faces deadlia's color outbreak in twentyyears. Zombia is currently facing a severe
color outbreak that have resulted in overfour hundred deaths and more than ten thousand
infections. As a result, schoolsin the country have been ordered to remain

(00:23):
closed after the holiday season. Asoccer stadium in the capitol has been converted
into a treatment center, and thegovernment is launching a massive vaccination campaign while
providing clean water to affected communities.The outbreak began in October and a strongly
linked to poverty and inadequate access toclean water. The United Nations Children's Fund
has referred to the fatality rate ofaround four percent as devastatingly high, considering

(00:48):
that treating cholera typically has a deathrate of less than one percent. Similar
outbreaks have occurred in neighboring countries suchas Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, resulting
in over two hundred thousand cases andthree thousand deaths in Southern Africa since the
beginning of twenty twenty three, Malawiexperience its worst color outbreak in decades in
twenty twenty three,