An intense cholera outbreak has killed some 1 562 people in Eastern and Southern Africa since the beginning of the year. The deaths have been recorded from 104 095 outbreaks in Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Somalia accounts for 75 percent of the total cases reported in 2017, followed by South Sudan at 15,9 percent, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef). Somalia is the worst affected by the water borne disease with 1 666 people killed. Tanzania follows in terms of the death toll with 420 people dead.
War-torn South Sudan has recorded 378 deaths in 2017. Angola, which battling an influx of refugees from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, has suffered 26 deaths. Zimbabwea and neighbouring Mozambique have each suffered four deaths. There have been marginal tolls in Malawi and Zambia where one person has died from each country.
Zambia has recorded the latest outbreak of the disease earlier this month. Burundi and Rwanda have suffered outbreaks but no deaths have been recorded. Unicef and local governments are carrying out an epidemiological study on cholera hotspots and basins to gain thorough information to address the crisis.
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