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THE Southern African (SADC) leaders will hold a virtual extraordinary summit on February 2 to discuss the raging region-wide cholera outbreak, which has claimed thousands of lives and infected many others.
In a statement, SADC said the summit will, among other things, receive and consider national reports on the cholera outbreak from affected member states and examine the state of preparedness and responses to the disease in the entire region.
“The fight against cholera aligns with the African Regional Framework for the Implementation of the Global Strategy for Cholera Prevention and Control, 2018 – 2030.
“This framework supports the new global strategy for cholera control at the country level, providing a definitive pathway towards a world where cholera no longer poses a threat to public health,” it said.
The summit follows the one held earlier this month by SADC health ministers and partners drawn from World Health Organisation, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to regional health authorities, 13 countries are battling one of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in years. – New Ziana
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu