Israeli Aid Team from Sheba Medical Center First to Respond to Zambia Cholera Outbreak
Doctors from Sheba Medical Center’s Israel Center for Disaster Medicine were part of the first international team to respond to an urgent call for assistance following an outbreak of cholera in the capital of Zambia, and also constituted part of a second Israeli team that followed soon after. The hospital sent eight doctors, nurses, and lab technicians to spend two weeks in the country in an attempt to stem the deadly outbreak and treat hundreds of patients at the improvised field hospital in Lusaka’s national soccer stadium. The infectious disease, which can kill within hours if not treated, had already claimed the lives of 62 people across Zambia since the start of the outbreak, with nearly 3,000 people affected nationwide. The team strategized to not only treat those who had already been affected but also to implement preventative measures and provide training and guidance to help contain the outbreak. The goal of the experienced specialists and experts that comprise Sheba Medical Center for Disaster Medicine is to save lives and make a positive global impact.