Cholera claims six Angolans
2006-02-20 14:02
Luanda - Angolan authorities on Monday declared a cholera epidemic in the country's capital, where six had died of the disease from among 32 cases detected in the past week.
Health services official Vita Vemba said: "We have decided to inform the population that there is a cholera epidemic in Luanda."
The outbreak originated in Luanda's overcrowded Boa Vista district, near Luanda Bay, where the first cases were detected on February 13.
A commission of health specialists, aid workers and local administrators had been appointed, and shelters had been set up near hospitals to isolate the sick.
A highly contagious and potentially fatal disease, cholera thrives in conditions of poor hygiene and inadequate water supplies. It was generally caused by using contaminated water for drinking and cooking.
Cholera outbreaks had occurred elsewhere in the southern African region in recent months, including in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
Some 7 000 people had been evicted from Boa Vista for the past three years after authorities determined that repeated landslides had left the area dangerous.