country have caused severe floods. Here, a motorist wades in a flood
of stagnate rainwater in Kanyama Township
The Lusaka City Council has so far closed about 30 schools in Kanyama coumpound due to an outbreak of Typhoid in the area.
The Council’s Public Health Department has closed the schools which are both government and private due to insanitary conditions.
The council has since intensified inspections in schools and eating outlets in Kanyama compound following the outbreak of typhoid last week.
The closure of the schools is in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 20 of the Public Health Act Cap 295 of the laws of Zambia.
Among other schools closed include, Blue Bird School, Grace Community School, World Wide Community School, Bhungu Education Centre, Good Shepherd Community School, Titandize Community School, Membe Community School, Glory to Glory Community School and Gift Tech School.
Others are Silver Sand School, Sante Education Centre, Parles School, Ben Ten Day Care School, Remegel Academy, Faith Foundation Community School and Arise and Shine Day Care. Meanwhile three schools in the same area have been warned namely Legacy Academy, Malpher Education Centre and True Gospel community Schools.Â
Council Spokesman Habeenzu Mulunda said in view of the development, the council urges members of the general public, schools and eating outlets especially in the affected area to take preventive measures by ensuring that they maintain a good hygiene and sanitation standards in order to avoid further outbreaks of the diseases.
So many questions:
1. What exactly do we call a school these days? Can Kanyama alone have 30 schools? It seems anyone can turn their living room into a school these days and the Ministry of Education issues them with an operating license – what a mess!
2. Should’nt compliance with Public Health standards constitute one of the key considerations for issuance with a school license? Do these public health inspectors REGULARLY monitor such compliance? Was this outbreak entirely unexpected & Public Health authorities saw no warning signs? If so, do we really need these so-called inspectors? Believe you me public health inspectors were getting their full salaries, and maybe even salary increments while this problem was brewing – Welcome to Zambia my beloved country!!!
3. Closure =…
Is Closure alone = Eradication? Can LCC and government at large tell us what they are doing about;
1. Refuse collection & management in Kanyama
2. General Awareness Campaigns on Hygiene
3. Supply of clean domestic water
4. Basic Sanitation & Solid Waste management in Kanyama
5. What they are doing to prevent the epidemic from spreading or breaking out in other townships in the country
This is what any serious government would do – it shouldn’t just end at closing the schools Ba Mulundu !!!!
He who does not learn from advice must learn from experience. I say this with sympathy but maybe Zambians need to learn the hard way why its important to be clean.
Yaba!! If this is NOT evidence enough to prove Zambia is sliding into a “Failed State” then I dont know what more evidence is needed?
God forbid that some epidemic like Ebola raids any of Zambia’s cities as I foresee a wipe out of a whole community! Environmental health departments are asleep and people are being remunerated for doing nothing! No wonder the growing mountains of garbage and filth spewing out on the streets! Heads need to roll! Agreed that people are employed to support their families and so does the community deserve delivery of services.
Yuck!! ifiko ubusali, ama rubbisssssssssssh – mukaleka lilali kanshi?
its a shame that Zambia has to seem like a dirty country because of such towns. the council should come up with a way to help the people living in such areas because if this should continue Zambia we not be beautiful as we know it to be.