World Vision Angola today (Friday) launched a $200,000 crisis response to the resurgence of cholera in Huambo city.

Angola's Ministry of Public Health asked the NGO to help with a public education and communication campaign, while supporting surveillance teams in controlling and treating cholera outbreaks in the city, the peri-urban areas around, and 10 municipalities in the province.

The response may be extended to other areas of Angola if the epidemic spreads.

World Vision Angola performed a similar role earlier in the year as part of a government and NGO collaboration, when a cholera outbreak was successfully confronted.

WV Angola programme director John Yale said that heavy rains in the central highlands have contributed to the resurgence of the epidemic, but were not the sole cause.

"Poor sanitary conditions and a lack of access to clean drinking water for the majority of the population in both urban and rural areas are the main factors.

"As of Wednesday afternoon (20th December 2006) the Huambo Provincial Department of Health reported 204 cases of cholera with 24 deaths. The case fatality rate is extremely high at 11.8%."

Part of World Vision Angola's role will be to equip 10 cholera clinics that can provide oral rehydration therapy and treatment for people with cholera.

Huambo Province is home to a huge population of people who were displaced by the 27-year civil war, which ended in 2002.

Details of the response World Vision's major role in the intervention is to provide rapid support with medical supplies and equipment for clinics equipped for oral rehydration therapy. It will also expand activities for the dissemination of preventive measures through:

social mobilization groups and a public education campaign, monitoring of the outbreak, house to house visits for following up of contacts; disinfestations; collection of specimen for bacteriology lab examination; distribution of water tanks for drinking water and chlorine. training of health care workers and community leaders.

In response to the request from the Ministry of Health WVA will provide transport, subsistence costs for health technicians, protective material and an educational campaign for rural communities. Health manager Dr Ana Mangueira will work in close coordination with the Head of the MOH Coordination Team.

For more information WV Angola programme director John Yale is available on +244 912 501009 and by email at john_yale@wvi.org

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