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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 19 January 2024

A cholera outbreak in Zambia has caused more than 400 deaths

and infected 10,000

By NOEL SICHALWE Cholera barely affects
Associated Press countries in the developed
LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — world and can be easily
Zambia is reeling from a treated but can be quickly
major cholera outbreak fatal if not treated.
that has killed more than More than half 229 of the
400 people and infected victims in the Zambian out-
more than 10,000, leading break died before being
authorities to order schools admitted to a health facil-
across the country to re- ity, the public health insti-
main shut after the end-of- tute said.
year holidays. Zambia has had several
A large soccer stadium in major cholera outbreaks
the capital city has been since the 1970s but this one
converted into a treatment is the worst for 20 years in
facility. terms of the caseload, ac-
The Zambian government is cording to Dr. Mazyanga
embarking on a mass vac- Mazaba, the director of
cination program and says public health policy and
it’s providing clean water communication at the
2.4 million liters a day to public health institute.
communities that are af- The cholera bacteria can
fected across the southern also survive longer in warm-
African nation. People wait outside a cholera treatment centre, in Lusaka, Zambia, Friday, Jan 12, 2024. er weather and unusually
The national disaster man- Associated Press heavy rains and storms in
agement agency has southern Africa have con-
been mobilized. day from the Zambia Public Health Minister Sylvia Mase- bique and Zimbabwe. tributed to recent out-
Cholera is an acute diar- Health Institute, the govern- bo said, outlining it was a More than 200,000 cases breaks, experts say.
rhea infection caused by ment body that deals with nationwide problem. and over 3,000 deaths WHO said last year that
a bacteria that is typically health emergencies. The United Nations Chil- have been reported in while poverty and conflict
spread via contaminated The Health Ministry says dren’s Fund, UNICEF, called southern Africa since the remain the main drivers for
food or water. The disease cholera has been detected the fatality rate of around start of 2023, UNICEF said. cholera, climate change
is strongly linked to poverty in nearly half of the coun- 4% in the three-month out- Malawi had its worst chol- has contributed to the dis-
and inadequate access to try’s districts and nine out break “a devastatingly era outbreak in decades in ease’s upsurge in many
clean water. of 10 provinces, and the high number.” When treat- 2023. Last year, the World places across the globe
The outbreak in Zambia nation of about 20 million ed, cholera typically has a Health Organization report- since 2021 by making
began in October and people has been recording death rate of less than 1%. ed that about 30 countries storms wetter and more fre-
412 people have died and more than 400 cases a day. There have been recent globally, also including Ni- quent. A cyclone sparked
10,413 cases have been re- “This outbreak continues to cholera outbreaks in other geria and Uganda in Af- a spiraling cholera out-
corded, according to the pose a threat to the health southern African nations rica, suffered serious out- break in Mozambique last
latest count on Wednes- security of the nation,” including Malawi, Mozam- breaks in the last few years. year.q

The drop in Panama Canal traffic due to a severe drought could

cost up to $700 million

PANAMA CITY (AP) — A se- One of the most severe comes at a precarious
vere drought that began droughts to ever hit the time. Attacks on commer-
last year has forced author- Central American nation cial ships in the Red Sea
ities to slash ship crossings has stirred chaos in the 50- by Yemen’s Houthi reb-
by 36% in the Panama Ca- mile (80-kilometer) mari- els have rerouted vessels
nal, one of the world’s most time route, causing a traf- away from the crucial cor-
important trade routes. fic jam of vessels, casting ridor for consumer goods
The new cuts announced doubts on the canal’s reli- and energy supplies.
Wednesday by authorities ability for international ship- The combination is hav-
in Panama are set to deal ping and raising concerns ing far-reaching effects
an even greater economic about its affect on global on global trade by delay-
blow than previously ex- trade. ing shipments and raising
pected. “It’s vital that the coun- transport costs. Some com-
Panama Canal Administra- try sends a message that panies had planned to re-
tor Ricaurte Vásquez now we’re going to take this on route to the Red Sea a key
estimates that dipping wa- and find a solution to this route between Asia and
ter levels could cost them water problem,” Vásquez Europe to avoid delays at
between $500 million and said. the Panama Canal, ana-
A cargo ship is guided through the Panama Canal, in Panama $700 million in 2024, com- The disruption of the ma- lysts say.
City, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. pared to previous esti- jor trade route between Now, that’s no longer an
Associated Press mates of $200 million. Asia and the United States option for most.q