Description of the situation
20 January 1999
Disease Outbreak Reported
The Ministry of Health, Kenya, has informed WHO of an outbreak of cholera in Nyanza, Eastern, Rift Valley and Nairobi Provinces which started on 27 December 1998. As of 19 January 1999 a total of 1025 cases with 25 deaths is estimated to have occurred.
The Ministry of Health has set up a National Cholera Control Task Force in collaboration with WHO. Similar Task Forces have been formed at provincial and district levels. The outbreak has been brought under control and the number of cases is declining rapidly. Surveillance and health education activities continue to take place.
Kenya has been suffering from a major cholera epidemic since mid-1997. The cumulative total number of cases reported to WHO was 17200 in 1997 and 22432 in 1998 with 555 and 1237 deaths respectively.