Zambia reopens schools as cholera cases subside

Schools in Zambia have reopened for the first time this year, after several delays following a deadly cholera outbreak.

The reopening of schools was delayed by five weeks as part of a series of preventative measures to contain the spread of the highly contagious disease.

The education ministry said it had been conducting school inspections across the country to gauge their readiness to reopen.

The spread of the disease has eased, according to the authorities.

About 500 people have died since the outbreak was reported last October. More than 15,000 cases have so far been reported, many of them affecting children.

Zambia has had several major cholera outbreaks but the current outbreak is the worst in 20 years, according to the government.

The outbreak has also caused several infections and deaths in neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

The International group Save the Children said that this latest health crisis is a threat to children's education and protection not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic.