Zambia's new cholera cases continue to drop

LUSAKA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zambia, where a cholera outbreak has wreaked havoc since last October, has recorded a drop in new cases, signaling the victory over the waterborne disease, health officials said on Monday.

"We have continued to record a marked reduction in the number of new cholera cases following the robust interventions we put up," Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya said in a statement.

According to figures, Lusaka, the country's capital, which was the epicenter of the outbreak, recorded 29 new cases in the last 24 hours compared to 68 cases recorded on Sunday, January 14, with no new deaths.

Eight new cases were reported from other parts of the country, bringing total cumulative figures since October last year to 3,260, with 74 deaths, he added.

He said the authorities will not slow down response efforts but quadruple until the epidemic was completely controlled.

"We are going to maintain the trend and ensure that public health rules are adhered to avoid sliding back and lose what we have gained so far," he said. Enditem