The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has faced a significant cholera outbreak, recording more than 660,000 cases and over 4,000 deaths since 2022. This revelation was made by the Health Minister, Sílvia Lutucuta, following an extraordinary SADC summit.
Lutucuta attributed the surge in cases to challenges in providing clean drinking water, basic sanitation, and the impact of climate change. She emphasized the exacerbation of the situation by natural factors such as heavy rains and cyclones, posing a substantial risk to the population.
The minister also highlighted a notable 80% increase in cases during the recent festive season and the start of the year in most SADC countries, excluding Angola, Namibia, and Botswana. This surge was attributed to increased mobility of people and the effects of climate change.
Lutucuta underscored the urgency of addressing cholera as a significant threat to public health and the region’s economy, emphasizing the need for concerted actions to combat the crisis. She urged for support to vulnerable countries, widespread preventive vaccination, and enhanced epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, including cross-border and synchronized vaccination efforts.
The minister assured that key partners, including the World Health Organization, African CDC, World Food Program, and UNICEF, will provide technical assistance and financial resources to affected countries. She also stressed the importance of investing in local pharmaceutical production for self-sufficiency in combating regional diseases.
Established in 1992, SADC aims to promote cooperation, socio-economic integration, and political collaboration among its member countries, which include Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.