More than 12,700 cholera cases recorded in DR Congo — Anadolu Agency

In South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 12,700 cholera cases, including 175 deaths, have been registered since the beginning of the year. This was reported by the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, Anadolu Agency reports.

Scale of the outbreak

Overall, since January, more than 30,400 cholera cases and nearly 700 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu remain the epicenter of the outbreak.

According to the latest report by health authorities in South Kivu province, 15 cholera deaths were registered in four health zones from September 14 to 20. These are Shabunda, Fizi, Ibanda and Uvira.

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Response measures

UNICEF said that together with partners it had deployed comprehensive response measures to save lives and contain the spread of the epidemic. Response teams are working with affected households, providing community surveillance and supporting laboratory analysis of suspected cases.

According to UNICEF's assessment, widespread flooding, population displacement and insufficient access to safe water are contributing to the spread of the infection. Health workers also said that since May, attention and resources had increasingly focused on the Ebola outbreak, allowing cholera to continue spreading among communities.

UNICEF called for urgent action to protect children, as cholera outbreaks are affecting several countries in West and Central Africa.