YOLISA: Addressing the media in Johannesburg ‘€“ the humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres ‘€“ otherwise known as Doctors Without Borders said at least 31 people have died in the last 36 hours alone from cholera.

RICHARD VEERMAN: These are only the official numbers. Actual numbers are likely to be two times or three times more because many people will just die at home because they don’€™t have the possibility to come to one of our treatment centres early enough.  

YOLISA: Richard Veerman, MSF Head of Mission in Angola, says that this is the worst ever cholera epidemic to hit Angola. The outbreak has infected more than 34 000 people.

The humanitarian organisation has set up cholera treatment centres in Luanda and other areas to assist those infected.

RICHARD VEERMAN: We have been doing public awareness campaigns to explain to the population how they can prevent themselves from being contaminated. But telling them how to prevent is not enough if you don’€™t provide the means to. You have to provide clean water. We’€™ve been doing that. We’€™ve been going to the most affected areas to provide water and setting up small fountains.

YOLISA: The capital city, Luanda has been hit particularly hard by this epidemic. More than half of the infected people reportedly live in Luanda.

Medicines Sans Frontieres blame what they call a disastrous state of water supply and sanitation infrastructure in Luanda for this outbreak. They are calling on the Angolan government to provide a speedy solution  

RICHARD VEERMAN: We call upon government and other actors to work together to bring this outbreak to an immediate halt. What is needed is a more concentrated awareness campaign to begin with and immediately to provide clean water for free to the most affected areas.

YOLISA: Cholera is a waterborne bacterial disease. It is transmitted through contaminated water. It is also linked to poor hygiene, insufficient sanitation and overcrowding.

MSF director of Water and Sanitation; David Weatherill says the epidemic began in February in the slum areas of Luanda.

DAVID WEATHERILL: Most of this population is living on a huge rubbish dump basically, without any basic services provided. So within this environment, it is a perfect condition(s) for a cholera outbreak to start and to spread like wild fire throughout the city.

YOLISA: He says this is the worst epidemic they’€™ve had to deal with. The doctors say – last month’€™s heavy rains in the country worsened the situation.

DAVID WEATHERILL: This family [infected] was explaining to us that due to this problem with the drainage; when it rains very heavily ‘€“ the water backs up and floods the houses. So they had 1 metre of standing water, of excrement; completely contaminated water for more than two days.    

YOLISA: Weatherill says the situation could be worse’€¦

DAVID WEATHERILL: The concern that we have is that, even though we are seeing huge numbers, thousands of cases and deaths presently; we’€™re not even sure we’€™re in the peak of the epidemic; maybe the peak is still to come.

YOLISA: According to the World Health Organisation, Angola’€™s Health department has established a task force including various humanitarian organisations, to limit the epidemic. The Red Cross is one of these organisations. Says spokesperson Seija Tyrninoksa

SEIJA TYRNINOKSA ‘€“ RED CROSS: We have already released a million rand for assistance ‘€“ to mobilise volunteers and train them [to help]. Now we are sending a fact finding mission from Geneva [head office] including water sanitation and health experts to assist the situation. We will then most likely launch an international appeal to support. If needs be; we will be able to send international experts to help in the situation.

YOLISA: These humanitarian organisations fear the worst. They say more needs to be done to achieve the ‘€œdual strategy’€ of ensuring early detection and treatment of patients ‘€“ and limiting the spread of the outbreak.