New school year delayed by cholera in Zambia

Monday should have marked the start of the academic year in Zambia, but children there will instead have to wait three weeks to return to class.

That’s because the authorities want to stop the spread of cholera, saying there is an urgent need for action and awareness following an increase in cholera-related deaths.

More that 200 people in Zambia have died of the disease since October.

In the last 24 hours alone, there have been 27 cholera deaths.

Zambia is among 18 countries in the world experiencing cholera outbreaks, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bacterial disease is spread by contaminated water or food, and causes severe dehydration from vomiting and diarrhoea. Left untreated, it can kill within hours.

By Dorcas