The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will today hold a virtual Extra Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government to deliberate on the cholera situation in the region.
Zimbabwe”s President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to attend the extra ordinary summit.
The SADC Secretariat issued a communique advising the region of the impending extra ordinary summit this Tuesday.
“The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold a virtual Extra Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government on 2nd February 2024 to discuss the cholera situation in the SADC region”, read the communique.
The meeting comes on the backdrop of the cholera outbreak that is ravaging a number of member states. Since last year, five SADC countries have reported cholera outbreaks, accounting for 73 percent of all the cases recorded in Africa. Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania have reported cholera cases in the region.
SADC extra ordinary summit will receive and consider the report regarding the cholera situation in some member states, the state of preparedness of SADC Member States, and responses to the cholera outbreaks in the member states among others.
SADC Chairperson, His Excellency, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola chairs the summit.
The fight against cholera aligns with the African Regional Framework for the Implementation of the Global Strategy for Cholera Prevention and Control, 2018 – 2030.
This Framework supports the new global strategy for cholera control at the country level, providing a definitive pathway towards a world where cholera no longer poses a threat to public health.
The Extraordinary SADC Summit was preceded by the Council of Ministers meeting.
The Council of Ministers met on the 29th of January and resolved to enhance coordination across and within borders to effectively control and limit the spread of the disease.
The SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the Community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC.
