OUR WORK

Zambia is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in 20 years, which is severely impacting on children’s health, wellbeing and protection.

Almost 700 people have died and there have been more 19,000 confirmed cholera cases since the outbreak was first declared in October 2023 (data accurate as of 3 March 2024).

Health facilities have been overwhelmed, and many don’t have the medical supplies and staff needed to manage the surge in cases. As a result, we’re seeing a higher number of people dying from the disease.

There’s a crippling world-wide shortage of cholera vaccines which is expected to last until 2025, with available doses now reserved for emergency situations and not for preventive use. This means many children are missing out on cholera vaccines, resulting in much larger outbreaks that are harder to control.

Save the Children has deployed its Emergency Health Unit, a team of specialized doctors, nurses and operations staff, to assist our teams in Zambia to respond to the outbreak.

We’re working with the Zambian government to track and contain the spread of cholera through various intervention including case management, infection prevention and control, disease surveillance, supporting water quality testing and monitoring, and also offering on-job training and mentorship to Ministry of Health staff at cholera treatment centres. We are also supporting the Ministry of Education at schools with chlorine, handwashing sets, soap, hand sanitizers, waste bins, and disinfectants in support to the re-opening of schools.

Taslima, 10, puts her hand up in class at her community school - Sylhet, Bangladesh. Photo: Tom Merilion / Save The Children

Marah*, 11 was displaced from her hometown first by conflict and then by the earthquakes that hit the region. She is currently residing in a camp in the northern Syrian countryside. The situation impacted Marah* including affecting her ability to go to school, which upset her a lot given she is passionate about her education and is currently in 4th grade.
Save the Children along with partner organisation Bonyan and other NGO’s worked to import and repurpose tents that were once used for administrative purposes into tents that could be used to be used to provide education facilities to children in the camp. Marah* excels in school, participates in educational activities, protection activities, and psychosocial support, which helped reveal her talents and abilities.

Sarah, 11, was displaced from her home in January 2022 when cyclone Ana forced the Shira River to burst its bank, flooding her home and all of the surrounding land.

Sarah and her family were forced to spend a night seeking refuge in a tree until her older brother came and resuced them all in a canoe, a hollowed out tree trunk to take them to safety.

Safety was over the river and the surrounding land, which was dangerous in itself due to crocodiles and other animals, and the travel through the pitch dark. They left with nothing but the clothes on their back and settled in a refugee camp that is support by a number of charities, including Save the Children.

Sarah was given psycho-social support from Save the Children where she did group therapy and received one to one support from our protection officer. She is now coping better and has managed to go back to school. While her and her family travel back to the flooded land to grow crops, the family cannot move back as their home is now completely destroyed.

Fidan*, 9, lives in a tent with her mother Yadigar* and father, a year after the earthquake destroyed her home and belongings.
Their village is located on the hills of Adıyaman, where transportation is difficult. Their house was destroyed in the earthquakes on February 6th. The family are living in a tent and container (prefabricated shelter) and received winterization support including blankets, heater, electric oven and kettle to help them through the coldest months.

Sandi*, 9, during an activity at Save the Children's Temporary Learning Space in a displacement camp in Northeast Syria. Roni Ahmed / Save the Children