Sumbe: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Angola, Antero de Pina, confirmed support for the provincial Government of Cuanza-Sul in combating the ongoing cholera outbreak. This announcement was made during a visit to the cholera treatment center at the '17 de Setembro' Hospital Unit in Sumbe.

According to Angola Press News Agency, Antero de Pina stated that UNICEF would provide financial, technical, and medical support, including tents, beds, and staff training to raise community awareness. Although the exact amount of resources to be allocated was not specified, the representative noted that it would depend on the needs for combating the disease.

Antero de Pina emphasized the importance of reinforcing communication for behavior change, particularly at schools and community levels, as a priority for eradicating cholera. He expressed concern over the current cholera rate in Cuanza-Sul, which stands at 3%, but remained optimistic that with the involvement of society, churches, and non-governmental organizations, the rate could decrease in the coming weeks.

Narciso Benedito, the governor of Cuanza-Sul Province, highlighted the importance of making all possible support available and implementing collective measures to prevent and quickly eradicate the disease in the region. In the last 24 hours alone, 97 cholera cases were registered, resulting in 2 deaths.

During his visit, the UNICEF representative also delivered cholera treatment medicines to the Sumbe provincial hospital and distributed flyers illustrating preventive measures against the disease.

Since Feb of the current, Cuanza-Sul has registered 1,453 cases, with 42 deaths, mainly in the municipalities of Amboim, Sumbe, Cad¡, Quilenda and Ebo.