Luanda - The Ministry of Health denied this Tuesday the existence of a cholera outbreak in the country that is allegedly causing thousands of victims in Luanda.
Recently, news circulated on digital platforms about a supposed cholera outbreak that was supposedly causing thousands of victims in the country's capital, due to a lack of reagents in hospitals.
In a press release sent to ANGOP, the ministry repudiates and denies this information, as well as rumors about the lack of reagents in hospital units.
The note reiterates that so far Angola has not registered any cases of cholera and that the contingency plan with the preparedness and prevention measures recommended by the World Health Organization has been implemented since last February.
In compliance with this plan, the note states, rapid response teams were trained and put into readiness at level two and pre-positioned in the border municipalities to the north and east of the provinces of Lunda-Norte and Luanda-Sul, Uíge, Moxico, Cuando Cubango and also in Luanda, with hospital materials and equipment necessary for an immediate reaction in the event of the appearance of positive cases.
It he also adds that epidemiological surveillance teams were also positioned across the country for the immediate detection and diagnosis of suspected cases and an education and disease prevention campaign was launched in the media.
“Thanks to these and other ongoing preventive measures, so far no positive case of cholera has been detected across the entire national territory”, highlights the communication.
To the ministry, the contrary information put in circulation “by bad faith entities aims to spread insecurity among citizens”.
The Ministry of Health, therefore, calls for calm and serenity and scrupulous compliance with individual and collective prevention measures, with special emphasis on personal and environmental hygiene.
Since January 2023, a cholera outbreak has afflicted several SADC countries, with an incidence in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, countries which border Angola.
EVC/OHA/CF/jmc
