Avellon Williams
YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON— A total of five people have died from cholera in Yaounde in the last month, according to the health ministry, which warned that the disease is on the rise.
Since last month, five people have died from the disease, and more than 88 cases have been identified in the central region of the country, including Yaounde.
An epidemic that was declared in October 2021 has “resurged”, according to Health Minister Manaouda Malachie.
According to him, the country’s monitoring system has been placed on alert.
There are intermittent outbreaks of cholera in Cameroon, a country with a population of some 25 million. When left untreated, the disease can be fatal within hours.
In October, 272 deaths and 12,952 cases across the country had been reported.
However, the latest areas affected include Yaounde’s four districts and nearby Mfou and Obala towns, whose population is around 2.8 million.
In late February, the World Health Organization reported that the number of new cholera cases in Africa fell by 37 percent after rising sharply in early 2023.
Nonetheless, the UN body expressed concern that flooding in southern Africa could pose a high risk of spread, saying cases had been reported in 12 countries, including Mozambique and Malawi, both of which are experiencing record outbreaks.
