Cholera death toll reaches 1,700 in Angola

At least 1,727 people have died of cholera in Angola, out of 45,133 cases notified countrywide since the outbreak was declared on Feb. 13 this year, according to local media reports on Thursday.

The capital Luanda has recorded 291 deaths out of 22,549 cases, followed by Benguela, which has reported 502 deaths out of 7,971 cases.

The drop in cases and deaths is owed to an awareness campaign carried out by Angola's Health Ministry, said a source from the sector.

According to Deputy Minister of Health Jose Van-Dunem, Luanda used to record 500 cases a day, but thanks to the campaign, the number has dropped to 50 cases.

Meanwhile, there is rising concern about northeastern Lunda- Norte province, mostly in the districts of Cuango and Xa Muteba, and northern Uije province, as the cases are on the rise. In southwest Namibe, the rate is still high, but the number of deaths has dropped, it was reported.

The Chinese government on Wednesday donated 200,000 U.S. dollars to Angola to help fight the illness.

Cholera, an acute intestinal infection spread by contaminated water or food, causes vomiting and acute diarrhea that can lead to dehydration and death within 24 hours if not treated swiftly with antibiotics and oral rehydration salts.

Source: Xinhua