Malawi declares end of country’s deadliest cholera outbreak  

Malawi declares end of country’s deadliest cholera outbreak  

Blantyre, Malawi     —  Malawi has declared the end of the country’s worst cholera outbreak, which began in March 2022 and killed nearly 2,000 people. In a statement Monday, the Ministry of Health said the country had registered no cases or deaths from cholera in 26 of Malawi’s 29 health districts in the past … Read more

Nigeria declares cholera crisis, launches emergency measures

Nigeria declares cholera crisis, launches emergency measures

Nigerian authorities have declared a national emergency and activated response operations to control the spread of a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 50 people. The Nigerian Center for Disease Control, or NCDC, said Tuesday that its decision to activate the National Cholera Emergency Operation center followed a risk assessment conducted by authorities last … Read more

Africa’s cholera crisis is worse than ever

Africa’s cholera crisis is worse than ever

LILANDA, Zambia —  Extreme weather events have hit parts of Africa relentlessly in the last three years, with tropical storms, floods and drought causing crises of hunger and displacement. They leave another deadly threat behind them: some of the continent’s worst outbreaks of cholera. In southern and East Africa, more than 6,000 people have died … Read more

UN approves updated cholera vaccine that could help fight a surge in cases

UN approves updated cholera vaccine that could help fight a surge in cases

The World Health Organization has approved a version of a widely used cholera vaccine that could help address a surge in cases that has depleted the global vaccine stockpile and left poorer countries scrambling to contain epidemics. WHO authorized the vaccine, made by EuBiologics, which also makes the formulation now used, last week. The new … Read more

Cholera Kills At Least 54 in Somalia; Humanitarians Call for Action

Cholera Kills At Least 54 in Somalia; Humanitarians Call for Action

washington —  At least 54 people have lost their lives to cholera in Somalia in recent months. Nine of those deaths occurred within the past week, marking the highest weekly death toll this year, humanitarian group Save the Children said. In an interview with VOA Somali, Mohamed Abdulkadir, acting operations director for Save the Children … Read more

WHO Urges Immediate Action Amid Cholera Vaccine Shortage

WHO Urges Immediate Action Amid Cholera Vaccine Shortage

The World Health Organization on Wednesday called for immediate action to combat a worldwide spike in cholera cases amid a global vaccine shortage. “Immediate action is needed to stem an unprecedented multiyear upsurge in cholera cases worldwide,” WHO’s International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision said in a statement. “The severe gap in the number of … Read more

Norwegian Dawn cruise ship allowed to dock in Mauritius after cholera scare

Norwegian Dawn cruise ship allowed to dock in Mauritius after cholera scare

A U.S.-owned luxury cruise ship with more than 3,000 passengers and crew was allowed to dock Monday in the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius after being quarantined offshore for a day over fears of a possible cholera outbreak onboard, authorities said. The Mauritius government cleared the Norwegian Dawn, which is owned and operated by the … Read more

Norwegian Cruise Ship Barred From Mauritian Port Over Health Concerns

Norwegian Cruise Ship Barred From Mauritian Port Over Health Concerns

The Norwegian Cruise Line’s vessel, Norwegian Dawn, has been barred from docking at the Port Louis in Mauritius due to alleged health risks, as disclosed by the Mauritius Ports Authority on Sunday. The decision was prompted by health assessments, involving samples taken from approximately 15 passengers who were in isolation on board. The Norwegian Dawn, … Read more

UN Concerned by Spread of Cholera to 10 African Countries

UN Concerned by Spread of Cholera to 10 African Countries

Harare, Zimbabwe —  The U.N.’s Children’s Fund expressed alarm this week about a cholera outbreak in Africa that has spread to at least 10 countries, with the situation in Zambia and Zimbabwe “very serious.” Dr. Paul Ngwakum, the regional health adviser for UNICEF in East and Southern Africa, said about 200,000 cases have been reported … Read more