Zambia, already facing its worst anthrax epidemic in more than a decade, has recorded new deaths caused by cholera, health authorities in the southern African country reported Tuesday.
Four people died from cholera in the capital Lusaka in 24 hours, bringing the number of victims of this infection to 64 nationwide since the start of the year.
According to the National Institute of Public Health of Zambia , 46 of these deaths were recorded in the capital, as well as 1,600 infections , over the same period.
An acute diarrheal infection caused by the absorption of food or water contaminated by bacteria, cholera is on the rise on the continent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health Minister Sylvia Masebo said the government was distributing chlorine to purify water in areas affected by the outbreak and called on the population to adhere to strict hygiene measures.
These new deaths come a few days after the WHO announced that the country was facing its worst anthrax epidemic since 2011. Since the start of the year, anthrax - or anthrax - has claimed four lives and 700 suspected cases in the country, according to the WHO.
The Bacillus anthracis bacterium, which survives for decades in the form of spores in lands where animals dead from anthrax or carrying the disease have been buried in the past, is transmissible to humans and potentially fatal in its rarest forms.
According to the WHO, 26 of the suspected cases in Zambia come from “consumption of meat taken from the carcasses of three hippos” . The organization warned of a "high" risk of the anthrax epidemic spreading to neighboring countries, given "the frequent (cross-border) movements of populations and animals" .
Besides Zambia, Kenya , Malawi , Uganda and Zimbabwe have also recorded anthrax cases this year, with a total of 20 deaths and some 1,100 suspected cases.
Niger: Germany “interested” in resuming military cooperation
Germany is "interested" in a resumption of military cooperation with Niger, partially suspended since the July coup, the German Minister of Defense told the press on Tuesday visiting Niamey, after discussions with his Nigerien counterpart.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius affirmed that Germany is "interested in resuming projects" in Niger , as part of military cooperation . Berlin has around a hundred soldiers, installed in the Niamey air base where part of the French troops were stationed until their recent departure at the request of the military regime.
“We have signaled that we are interested in keeping the military base,” added Mr. Pistorius. Since the coup d'état which overthrew elected President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, "we had not stopped everything. We had left our military advisor here" , as well as the "special forces" and "left the Nigerien soldiers “train with us ,” he continued.
His visit is the first by a European minister to Niger since the coup d'état. Despite "difficult circumstances" , he spoke of a "conversation" which "gives hope for the continuity of a good relationship" between the two countries. " I have been clear several times in the past that it is important for Germany" , "European partners and other partners to invest in this region" , he stressed.
Mr. Pistorius added that Germany wants in particular to “discuss the continuity of the project” of building a “hospital” , the “reference military” hospital , specified his Nigerien counterpart, General Salifou Mody, in a press release. published Tuesday. “We will continue ' working ' discussions from January ,” Boris Pistorius said.
His Nigerien counterpart also indicated that "with the support of Germany" , Niger has "developed training centers for non-commissioned officers, for special forces" , but also other projects linked to " military transport .
However, the presence of "foreign troops" in Niger, including that of German military forces, will be "framed by texts" and "subject to new conditionalities" , as well as " to the appreciation of the Nigerien people" , affirmed General Mody.
In September, the German authorities had suggested that they could withdraw their troops from the country, after the announcement made by Paris of the withdrawal of its approximately 1,500 soldiers, the last of whom should have left the Sahelian country by the end of the year, according to Niamey.
A week after the coup, which Berlin condemned, the German government suspended its development aid and budgetary support to Niger.
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