DR Congo: Cholera outbreak hits Lubumbashi

Sixty people have been reportedly infected by a cholera outbreak in Lubumbashi in the last ten days.

Lubumbashi is the second largest city of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The outbreak of the epidemic has been linked to poor hygiene in some municipalities.

Health officials are still to give a clear figure of the number of deaths recorded so far and are looking for ways to stop the spread of the disease by creating more awareness on hygienic measures.

For now a centre specialised in the treatment of cholera has been opened to help in the handling of serious cases. The local Red Cross has been distributing products used for water treatment.

A press release from the office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Lubumbashi indicates that the treatment centre has benefitted from 30 beds as part of aid from a non governmental organisation.

The donation is expected to increase the capacity of the centre as the number of patients increase everyday.