The government in Zambia announced yesterday Thursday that the return of children to school, which was scheduled to take place on Monday, January 8, has been postponed for three weeks due to a cholera epidemic that has been raging in the southern African country since October and has claimed 150 lives. people.

“Public and private schools will remain closed for an additional three weeks beyond their official opening date of January 8. Schools will reopen on January 29,” Education Minister Douglas Siakalima said during a press conference.

“The country has seen a recent increase in cholera cases and deaths,” he explained.

According to the latest government figures in Lusaka, there have been over 4,000 cases and 150 deaths, in other words a fatality rate of 3.7%.

According to official data, at least 342 new cases and 23 deaths were confirmed in the previous 24 hours.

Zambian authorities announced in late December that they were stepping up the campaign against the outbreak, especially by distributing chlorine to disinfect contaminated water.

Cholera is on the rise in Africa, warns the World Health Organization. The disease, caused by the cholera bacterium, after a short incubation period of two to five days, causes acute diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and—if not treated immediately—death within even a few hours. It is extremely dangerous for small children.