Data from the last 24 hours show that deaths were reported in the provinces of Luanda (4), Benguela (3), Cuanza Norte (2) and Icolo and Bengo (1), while cases were reported in Benguela (91), Luanda (48), Cuanza Norte (16), Malanje (15), Bengo (11), Icolo and Bengo (9), Huambo (2), Cabinda (2), Huíla (2) and Cuanza Sul (1).
Since the start of the cholera outbreak, a total of 11,737 infections have been reported, of which 4903 were in Luanda, the capital and epicenter of the disease, which affects 17 of the country's 21 provinces.
Regarding deaths, the status of the cholera outbreak reported by the Ministry of Health indicates that 448 people died, with a fatality rate of 3.8 percent, with Luanda leading the deaths, registering 183 deaths, followed by Bengo (109), Cuanza Norte (52), Benguela (46), Icolo and Bengo (27), Malanje (14) and Cuanza Sul (10), with the highest numbers.
In the last 24 hours, 152 people were discharged and 1031 others are hospitalized with cholera.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Angola highlighted this Friday the adoption by Angola of measures to improve access to drinking water and combat cholera.
According to the WHO, health authorities, with its support and that of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), have begun a mission to map and treat the main water access points in the country, with the aim of identifying sources of contamination, ensuring access to treated water and stopping the spread of cholera.
As part of this mission, in January and February, 28 public health technicians from 15 municipalities in the five most affected provinces received training in water source mapping.
These technicians learned to use georeferencing tools to locate and document water sources, collect data on cholera cases and insert this information into maps, thus identifying potential contamination sites.
"This made it possible to deploy teams trained in water treatment, case management and community engagement," the WHO said.
Around 320 water points have been mapped across the country, improving the population's access to treated water, particularly in the provinces of Luanda and Icolo e Bengo, which together account for around 94 percent of cholera cases and 15 percent of cholera-related deaths in Angola.
WHO Representative in Angola, Indrajit Hazarika highlighted the importance of multisectoral efforts to end cholera.
"Thanks to multisectoral leadership and the support of partners, we are confident that it will soon be possible to control contamination and end cholera in Angola. However, we must accelerate access to quality water, improve sanitation, strengthen prevention and treatment, and ensure lasting protection to prevent us from losing lives due to diseases like cholera," he said.
