Bisola David
The first cholera death in South Africa in more than ten years was reported by health authorities on Thursday.
According to The Guardian, although there has been five instances since early February, cholera is not endemic in South Africa.
The first two of those were from Malawi, which is reeling from one of the bloodiest cholera outbreaks in recent memory.
A 24-year-old guy from Benoni, a neighborhood east of Johannesburg, is the victim in South Africa.
According to a statement from the office of Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, he had no prior history of travel outside the nation and passed away on Sunday at a hospital.
His cholera was later verified by laboratory tests.
The most recent waterborne illness outbreak in South Africa occurred between 2008 and 2009, when 12,000 cases were reported following a significant outbreak in neighboring Zimbabwe.
This time, the disease originated in Malawi, where, according to the UN, out of approximately 45,000 cases registered since March 2022, at least 1,400 deaths have occurred.
Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other southern African nations like Mozambique have lately reported incidents.
According to director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in addition to the 20 countries that have land borders with them, 23 countries are currently facing cholera outbreaks.
Cholera is a bacterial infection that typically spreads through contaminated food or water and results in vomiting and diarrhea.
