The Central African Republic (CAR) has officially declared a cholera outbreak following the confirmation of 24 deaths and 197 cases near the capital, Bangui.

The country’s Health Minister confirmed that emergency measures to limit the transmission of the waterborne disease have already been activated. The outbreak marks the nation’s first major cholera crisis in a decade, with infections currently concentrated in two districts just south of the capital.

Health officials are particularly concerned by the high mortality rate, noting that vast segments of the population still lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation infrastructure. Authorities are on high alert as the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, which is currently fighting an Ebola epidemic, also experiences its worst surge in cholera cases in 25 years.

–ChannelAfrica–