According to the African Union’s health agency, Namibia has recorded its first cholera case in nearly a decade in an area close to the Angolan border, where at least 237 people have died from an ongoing outbreak.
Jean Kaseya, the director-general of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC), confirmed the case on Thursday, highlighting it as a significant wake-up call for the country’s health system.
The patient, a 55-year-old woman from the Kunene region, developed severe diarrhoea, a common symptom of cholera, but has since recovered and was discharged from the hospital.
This new case marks the first cholera incident in Namibia since 2015.
The disease is prevalent in Angola, where a cholera epidemic has been ongoing since last year, primarily affecting the capital, Luanda.
Despite Angola’s wealth in oil, the country continues to grapple with high poverty levels and inadequate sanitation, which have contributed to the spread of the disease.
The CDC reports that, although cases and deaths are still occurring, the situation in Angola is improving with a declining mortality rate.
Cholera, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, is spread through contaminated food and water and can result in severe symptoms, including diarrhoea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. If untreated, it can lead to death within hours, though it can typically be managed with oral rehydration solutions and antibiotics for more severe cases.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently reported a 71% increase in cholera deaths worldwide compared to the previous year, with sub-Saharan Africa seeing a dramatic 125% rise in cases.
