This cholera outbreak in Lusaka hits particularly close to home—it is directly in a community where we are active, and the deaths and illnesses are impacting the people we serve.
Batuke Walusiku-Mwewa, CMMB’s country lead in Zambia, shares: “I received a phone call at 5:30 on Monday morning, from a member of the community. She was barely audible, saying she had diarrhea and was being taken to the clinic in Mtendere. She was home later that day feeling better, but only after 10 pints of rehydrating drips. It’s real. Cholera hits within 24 hours and can be fatal within that time.”
With your support, CMMB is equipping community health workers in Lusaka, and around the world, to save lives by educating individuals about cholera symptoms, response, and prevention.
Sadly, this is not the first time our global staff has had to respond to an emergency like this. Early in 2023, a cholera outbreak affected a community where we work in Haiti. From January through September 2023, CMMB-trained health workers visited over 36,000 households and educated nearly 125,000 people—distributing water purification tablets, soap, and oral rehydration salts. These lifesaving measures helped slow and eventually contain this deadly outbreak.
In Lusaka and other communities we work in around the world, your gift helps us deliver critical supplies and spread knowledge, both proven to prevent disease and reduce death.
“We are grateful for all the efforts that are being made for us to respond to the fight against cholera and beyond!” – Batuke Walusiku-Mwewa
