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Parliament has heard that Zambia has recorded 569 cholera cases, with four patients currently admitted—two in Monze and two in Mpulungu—and nine deaths since the outbreak began.
Health Minister, Dr. Elijah Muchima, said health teams had successfully treated and discharged 556 individuals, and as of Thursday, 20, 2025, only one patient remained under care nationwide.
Delivering a ministerial statement in parliament, Muchima said the country was experiencing a localized outbreak in Monze District, which had recorded 35 cases to date.
“The situation in Monze is under control, and I would like to assure this Honourable House that a dedicated team is on the ground, actively working to contain this cluster and prevent further transmissions,” he said.
He stated that Northern Province was the epicentre of the initial outbreak, first detected on August 5, 2025.
Through a targeted response, including a vaccination campaign, the government achieved over 99 percent coverage in the most affected areas.
Muchima said this outcome reflected effective public health measures and strong community cooperation.
“I would also like to reaffirm the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting the health of all Zambians by ensuring that adequate measures are put in place to avoid further spread of the disease and its resultant illnesses and possible deaths,” he said.
He added that the response focused on a targeted vaccination campaign, which had been crucial in limiting the scale and spread of the outbreak.
Muchima said so far, 225,858 people had been vaccinated in hotspot districts.
“I would further wish to inform the nation through this August House that vaccines are in short supply globally, “Muchima said.
To manage the situation, he said the government had requested 156,000 doses of cholera vaccines through the World Health Organisation (WHO) mechanism.
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Muchima stressed that the shortage of essential drugs underscored the need for local manufacturing of commodities, including vaccines.
“To this effect, the Government through IDC is working towards signing an agreement for setting up a local manufacturing plant with the purpose of improving access to quality and efficacious drugs and vaccines by the people of Zambia,” he said.
The plant will be developed in phases, beginning with fill-and-finish operations before progressing to full manufacturing over 3–4 years.
Muchima said government had also strengthened national preparedness, putting in place proactive surveillance and an Early Warning System to monitor high-risk districts daily. Community-based health workers are supporting detection and reporting.
“Government has prepositioned essential medical supplies, which include test kits, treatments, and oral rehydration salts in all hotspot districts,” he said.
He added that real-time monitoring of the supply chain was ensuring the steady availability of essential commodities.
Muchima said the combination of surveillance, technical readiness, clinical capacity, logistics, partnerships and community involvement was keeping the country resilient against further cholera outbreaks.
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