Kinshasa, July 13th, 2025 (CPA).- Hand washing kits at church entrances have been recommended by the Minister in charge of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare to combat the cholera epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), CPA has learned on Saturday from the minister’s ‘X’ account.
‘In this fight that concerns us all, it is now imperative that all fairs, universities, higher education institutions and religious denominations have operational hand washing kits at all their entry points,’ has written Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister in charge of Health. He has explained that public health is a collective responsibility and that everyone’s cooperation is essential in the fight against this disease. In addition, the minister has indicated at a press briefing last Thursday that the country has recorded 33,500 cases of cholera with a fatality rate of 2.1%. In Kinshasa, he has continued, five hospitals are operational, namely Ngiri-Ngiri, Camp Kokolo, Pakadjuma, Mama Koko de Mont-Ngafula and the Renaissance University Hospital Centre (CHU-R), (formerly Mama Yemo).
He has sustained that the most affected provinces are Tshopo, Sud-Kivu and the city province of Kinshasa. To prevent this disease, Minister Kamba has called on the population to observe hygiene measures such as washing their hands and vegetables and fruit properly before eating and to avoid self-medication. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by bacteria found in unsafe water, contaminated food and poor sanitation. Its symptoms include sudden and profuse diarrhoea, frequent vomiting, intense thirst, dry mouth, extreme fatigue and absence of urine. CPA/