Angola: cholera kills 2,000 people

Angola: cholera kills 2,000 people

The disease killed 2,089 people through Sunday, the Geneva-baed WHO said in its latest report.

The epidemic began in Luanda, the capital, and has spread to 15 of the Southwest African country's 18 provinces. Health officials have reported more than 50,000 cases, WHO said.

Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and is linked to poor hygiene, overcrowding and inadequate sanitation. Though it can be treated easily, cholera is a major killer in developing countries, the AP reports.

A two-decade civil war that ended in 2002 crippled Angola's public infrastructure, including health care and sanitation systems.