Luanda, Feb. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - The European Union (EU) on Monday announced funding of €200,000 to help Angola contain the cholera outbreak, which poses a significant risk to more than 380,000 people.
According to a statement from the EU delegation in Angola, the European funding aims to support the efforts of the Angolan Red Cross in providing aid, including drinking water, healthcare, sanitation and hygiene.
In addition, the intervention will centre on risk communication and community involvement to combat misinformation and raise public awareness.
The cholera outbreak recorded since 7 January has already spread to eight Angolan provinces, with a total of 1,710 cases having been recorded by Sunday, with 59 fatalities.
The EU-supported programme will last four months, until the end of May 2025, and should reach 384,000 people in the provinces of Bengo, Kwanza Norte, Huambo, Huila, Icolo e Bengo, Luanda, Malanje and Zaire.
Luanda province is the worst affected, with a total of 1,006 cases and 37 deaths. All the municipalities in the province are classified as high risk due to the mobility of the population and the movement of goods, with the municipality of Cacuaco identified as the epicentre of the outbreak.
The epidemic is aggravated by the lack of water supply and inadequate sanitation in densely populated urban areas and by the rainy season, increasing the need for rapid and coordinated action on the part of the health authorities, Non-Governmental Organisations and international partners.
"Immediate efforts are needed to contain the outbreak, prevent further transmission and ensure timely treatment of those affected," the statement emphasised. The outbreak also poses a serious threat to neighbouring provinces, which highlights the need for a comprehensive national response.
The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
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