Lusaka District has recorded four (4) cases of cholera since the onset of the rainy season.
Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary, Stephen Bwalya says four cases have since been successfully treated by health authorities.
Mr. Bwalya disclosed the development after inspecting the opening of drainages and collection of garbage by the Lusaka District Disaster Mitigation Committee in Kanyama compound.
He said government through the Lusaka District Disaster Mitigation Committee, under the office of the District Commissioner, has intensified mitigation efforts aimed at averting the possible spread of the disease.
Mr. Bwalya said interventions to curb the spread of the disease include the distribution of free chlorine, provision of safe water, installation of permanent water taps and construction of Oak dry toilets in high risk areas.
The Provincial Permanent Secretary has since urged residents in high risk areas to stop using water from shallow wells and observe basic hygiene standards.
And speaking earlier, Lusaka District Commissioner, Christah Kalulu said the Disaster Risk Reduction Plan (DRR) is working as evidenced by four cases recorded compared to 205 cases that were recorded last year during the same period.
Ms. Kalulu, who is also Lusaka District Disaster Mitigation Committee (DMMC) Chairperson, has called for collective efforts among the community and civic leaders and cooperating partners to ensure no further outbreaks are recorded.
She said the plan is the cumulative efforts of various key stakeholders aimed at breaking the annual occurrence of cholera outbreaks especially in unplanned settlements where the provision of safe water and other sanitary conditions remain a challenge.
ZANIS
We should not lose these precious lives.Clean environment with clean water and using clean toilets
Na ah! It just hasn’t rained as much this time. I can’t even remember the last time Lusaka had a serious downpour. It is this dry spell that has caused the reduction and not, as madam DC claims, due to the DMMC’s work.
Some of these mitigation measures like opening drainages are supposed to be implemented before the rainy season begins. You don’t wait until there is a cholera outbreak to start working on drainages. Most of the so called drainages in Kanyama are too shallow to take all the storm water when there is a heavy down pore, in addition the area of kanyama is generally flat and as such requires properly planned and designed drainage system. Be proactive ba Lusaka District Disaster Mitigation Committee!
Prevention is better and cheaper than cure. I suppose the LDDMC already know what causes cholera in Lusaka and Zambia. Tackle these pre-emptively, well before the rains come, and all will be well. It is a shame to have diseases like cholera for they speak volumes about clean-ness.
Perhaps politcians like MPs and ward chairmen, councils and even traditional systems of chiefs and village headmen should be engaged to ensure each household lives in clean surroundings. Charity begins at home.
this cholera issue is like a annual event, and yet a permanent solution cannot be found.
I don’t know how long it is going to take the Zambian government to come up with a solution to combat cholera epidemic. Cholera has become a national issue that has no solution. It is shameful for a capital of a nation to be the first to record cholera. Do we need the Chinese to come and help us? Where is the government and the Ministry of health in this? Cholera is Zambian enemy and it is the government’s responsibility to defend its citizen from it. If a government can fail to fight and defeat cholera, I don’t know who will. Wake up guys and think seriously about how to defeat that internal enemy