How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Cholera

As Zambia continues to record cholera cases, health authorities say the disease is largely preventable, and prevention comes down to a handful of consistent habits around water, food and hygiene.

Cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, spread mainly through water or food contaminated with human waste. It thrives where access to clean water and proper sanitation is limited, which is why outbreaks tend to cluster around congested, poorly serviced areas. The World Health Organisation says the disease can be fatal within hours if left untreated, but it is also one of the more preventable infectious diseases when basic precautions are followed.

DRINK AND USE SAFE WATER

The single most important step is ensuring that any water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or washing food is safe. This means boiling water for at least one minute before use, or treating it with chlorine or another approved water treatment product, particularly in areas without reliable piped water or where a cholera case has already been confirmed nearby. Water should also be stored in a clean, covered container to prevent it from being contaminated after treatment.

WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY AND OFTEN

Handwashing with soap and clean water, especially before eating or preparing food and after using the toilet, remains one of the simplest and most effective barriers against cholera and many other diarrhoeal diseases. Where soap isn't available, ash and water can serve as an alternative.

BE CAREFUL WITH FOOD

Cholera bacteria can survive on food that has been contaminated during preparation or left out for too long. Food should be thoroughly cooked and eaten while still hot where possible, raw fruits and vegetables should be washed in safe water or peeled, and street food of uncertain hygiene standards should be approached with caution during an active outbreak.

MANAGE WASTE AND SANITATION PROPERLY

Proper disposal of human waste, using a toilet or latrine rather than open defecation, is central to preventing the contamination of water sources in the first place. Communities are also encouraged to avoid dumping waste near water sources such as wells, streams or rivers, since contaminated runoff is a common way outbreaks spread.

CONSIDER VACCINATION WHERE AVAILABLE

The WHO has prequalified oral cholera vaccines that offer protection for at least three years with a two-dose regimen, with single-dose protocols also used during outbreaks when vaccine supply is limited. Vaccination is generally deployed as a complement to, not a replacement for, safe water, sanitation and hygiene practices, and availability is typically coordinated through public health authorities during declared outbreaks.

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

With Zambia currently managing an active cholera outbreak, health officials say these measures are especially important in congested urban areas, markets and informal trading spaces where water and sanitation infrastructure is often stretched thin. Individual precautions, combined with community-level sanitation efforts, remain the most effective defence against the disease spreading further.

This is the first article in a four-part MUVI TV series on cholera. Tomorrow we will look at how to recognise the symptoms of cholera.