The Ministry of Health has officially declared the cholera outbreak that affected Zambia since August 2025 over, after the country recorded more than four consecutive weeks without a single confirmed case.
Speaking in Lusaka today , Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi says the declaration follows the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) recommendation for outbreak closure, marking the successful interruption of cholera transmission after months of intensive response efforts.
Dr. Lishimpi says Zambia recorded 1,627 confirmed cholera cases and 26 deaths across 25 districts during the outbreak, describing THE closure as a major public health milestone achieved through coordinated action by government, healthcare workers, communities and cooperating partners.
He says while the country is celebrating the end of the outbreak, the lives lost remain a painful reminder of the need for continued vigilance against the waterborne disease.
According to Dr. Lishimpi, the outbreak was brought under control through strengthened disease surveillance, laboratory testing, rapid case management, targeted oral cholera vaccination campaigns in high-risk districts, water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, risk communication, environmental health measures and the prepositioning of essential medicines and medical supplies.
Despite the declaration, he has warned that the threat of cholera has not disappeared and urged Zambians to remain alert.
Dr. Lishimpi encourages the public to continue drinking safe or treated water, wash hands regularly with soap, observe proper food hygiene, keep homes and public places clean, and seek immediate medical attention when symptoms such as acute watery diarrhoea or vomiting occur.
He says the Ministry of Health will continue strengthening disease surveillance, preparedness and rapid response systems while implementing the multisectoral cholera control plan to reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
By Mulenga Chipampe Makasa
