Cholera outbreak in Mbuji-Mayi "alarming", says Red Cross Federation

The outbreak of cholera in Mbuji-Mayi in the province of Kasai-Oriental in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) "remains alarming", and the disease continues to spread, according to the International Federation of the Red Cross. An Federation update issued on Wednesday said 202 deaths had been reported since the disease broke out in September 2002. Several hundred people in Mbuji-Mayi town and the villages of Bakamba, Bakamaleka, Kambanga and Tshilunde are affected. The population of Kasai-Oriental Province is about 4.2 million. The Federation said most of those affected by the epidemic were residents of the densely populated (over one million) mining city of Mbuji-Mayi. The update quoted official sources as saying that some 3,139 people had been hospitalised between September 2002 and January 2003. According to Federation, the highest numbers of cases were reported from the cholera treatment centres of Dibindi (938 cases), Miabi (530 cases), Kansele (456 cases), Tshilengué (433 cases) and Bipemba (425 cases). "The total number of cases and deaths may still be unknown because of lack of access, nonexistent communications and cultural norms; the epidemic may therefore be affecting a greater number of people than formally recorded," the Federation said. The Federation launched an appeal in November 2002 for support in combating the disease, "but has received slow response, with about a third of the required amount confirmed so far, thanks to contributions from the Swedish and Finnish Red Cross. The outstanding needs remain high and is affecting the implementation of planned activities such as construction of latrines, sensitisation activities in sanitation, disaster risk mapping, water collection activities, and the refurbishment of the Red Cross office and two local branches of Kasai-Oriental are not yet able to be carried out". The IFRC update