More than 50 of this month's deaths were in the Far North region, the hardest-hit area so far. The majority of people infected with the disease are children under the age of five and women.

Prof. Gervais Ondobo Andze, Director of disease control at the Ministry of Public Health, said that nine of the country's 10 regions are affected by cholera, an intestinal infection caused by ingestion of bacteria-contaminated food or water. It causes watery diarrhea and vomiting, which can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if not treated promptly.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 80 percent of cases can be cured by rehydrating the patient.

The government has opened treatment centers across the country and medical supplies have been dispatched to them all, but he emphasized that the battle against the disease must be a collective effort from both the government and the local population.

The Public Health Ministry reported 9,395 cholera cases in 2010 - 8,830 of which were in the Far North region, the worst outbreak in decades.