The World Health Organization says the Cholera outbreak that has killed 15 people and made 547 sick in Lusaka and the rising caseload is expected to grow further as the rainy season starts.
And the UN body has advised against any restriction to travel to and trade with Zambia based on the information available on the current outbreak.
The Cholera outbreak began on September 28 but appeared to die down by October 20, with fewer than five patients reported weekly until November 5.
But then the number of cases surged, with 136 in the week beginning November 26.
WHO said in a statement that the main affected areas are the densely populated districts of Lusaka, Chipata and Kanyama, where poor sanitation may favor the spread of the disease.
“The coming of the rainy season, coupled with inadequate water supply and sanitation, increases the risk of outbreaks in Lusaka and other parts of the country,” WHO said.
There is also a high risk of disease outbreaks in Zambia’s Nchelenge refugee camp, which is more than 1,000 km from Lusaka, and holds more than 60,000 refugees, mainly from Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also suffering a cholera outbreak.
It said one third of the cases are children under five years old and two thirds are persons five years and older.
The UN body said it is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and other partners to control the outbreak.
“Five Cholera Treatment Centres have been established in Chawama, Chipata, Kanyama, Matero and Bauleni sub-districts to manage cases. So far, 441 cases were successfully treated and discharged. Cholera Outbreak Guidelines and standard operating procedures have been updated and shared with health workers. The facilities in Lusaka District have continued with active surveillance, health education, chlorine distribution, contact tracing and environmental health monitoring,” it said.
The WHO has since recommended proper and timely case management in Cholera Treatment Centres.
“Improving access to potable water and sanitation infrastructure, and improved hygiene and food safety practices in affected communities, are the most effective means of controlling cholera. Use of oral cholera vaccine may also be used for outbreak control. Key public health communication messages should be provided,” it said.
Cholera is spread by ingesting fecal matter and causes acute watery diarrhea.
Although most sufferers have no symptoms or mild symptoms that can be treated with oral rehydration solution, the disease spreads rapidly and can kill within hours if not treated.
No one died of cholera in Lusaka
No one died at CBU
Where is the evidence?
This what PF government is saying.
Zambia is overpopulated, a little death here and there is good for the economy
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Guyz, where can i download the hit song “Koswe Mu Mpoto”?
Lekeni ukunyela panse! Please make proper toilets when you building houses!
Its 2017. The mayor is sleeping and the head of state is busy travelling, borrowing huge sums of money without a plan on how to repay it and talking about an election that is years away. We should all be ashamed as a country for keeping these people in Power.
Let’s see if those latest Toyota Hiluxes that the Minister of Finance Mutati has been allowing these ministries to procure for no purpose at all but to allow fat belly govt officers to show off will cure people of cholera. Will those expensive cars build drainages? We are a dull people for sure, 54 years of age- if Zambia was a man he would be a dependent living with his parents at 54 years old and failing to clean his own arse when he goes to the loo…we must be ashamed with ourselves!
“And the UN body has advised against any restriction to travel to and trade with Zambia based on the information available on the current outbreak.”
Sorry english is my second language, can you please make me understand this statement ba LSK times? Is the UN body against restriction to travel and why? So basically the UN body want people to travel and spread the dirty cholera germ.
@ maloza
Send me your whatsapp I will forward.
Funny thing, the same imperialists we denounce day and night, are the ones whose citizens work and pay taxes which we also benefit from through funding of sewer systems, water suppliy, ARVs. Honestly how Mr Lungu is able to fly and waste money amazes me too much. Look a country after 50 years of been independent failing to eradicate cholera in this day and age
Utter shame that this disease should be upon us……people would still prefer to have tarred roads in compounds first than clean water and sewer reticulation. The government should appreciate the implications of having this publicity internationally it also impacts on other sectors such as tourism. Its a shame that sanitation projects in Zambia should be funded by the Americans and not ourselves. Wake up People stop finding excuses for this government
You nailed it. Interestingly, our Political Leaders live way better than Political Leaders in wealthy countries. They are capable of building serious real estate portfolios within 5 years while the country can’t even fund urgent public services. That is not even sad, the sad part is that we the citizens actually make excuses for them Many of us will tear down anyone who dares to point the unacceptable excess of the Political Elite. It’s actually the poorest of society that provides the ballots to ensure these guys are in power.
Despite spending billion on so called development cholera remains an annual event ….with shameless Pf rats on LT sontaring how rich lungu and his gang have become
Despite spending billion on so called development cholera remains an annual event ….with shameless Pf rats on LT sontaring how rich lungu and his gang have become
Cholera outbreak reflects who we are – lazy ,irresponsible ,incompetent & neglectful.In more strict countries no one would be allowed to run unsanitary food joints by the street,have heaps of trash by the road and filthy water ponds everywhere.
Its the same story every year ….the same big potholes, roads will be flooded …Meanwood will be closed off again. People waiting for a miracle or a China man to save them…meanwhile these thieves are smashing out $1million dollars on a Scania lorry and $230K on an Ambulance …
*…splashing out $1million…
The government should seriously organize tours for its citizens to go and learn cleanliness in Kigali and Gaborone! As a man (or woman) thinketh, so is he (or she)! Garbage inside, garbage outside! Lusaka and Zambia at large is too filthy! A public health question is: Where do the thousands of street vendors go to answer the call of nature? If cleanliness is next to godliness, then Zambia has no iota of godliness in it and therefore not fit to be called a Christian nation!!! We are just a nation full of corrupt hypocrites!!!
Cleanliness is not rocket science its like telling your children to go to your neighbour to see how the clean up after toilet…the only difference between London, Paris, Kigali and Lusaka is good governance and leadership!!
JUST DUNUNA HARD- #42FIRETENDER!!
Everything will be okay, whilst kup.olomya hard!
Ba koswe mumpoto
It just baffles me that every year there is cholera breakout and still there is no solution to curb cholera. This simply proves that there is everything wrong with the leadership both at local and national levels. Honestly speaking almost everyone by now knows and understands what causes cholera and it must not anything difficulty to get rid of or at least even prepare to avoid. We do not need the WHO and the international community to solve this problem for us. Zambian we are just lazy and direct our efforts to plastic life.
Well said The Observer.
Where is the Pubic Helath Dept at Ministry of Health?Where are the public health specialists and inspectors.Cholera now is an annual event and all the pathetic fools care is buying expensive vehicles to show off.Why allow so many street vendors in a capital city?
MOH minister and all his directors must resign!
But these chaps have procured a number of loans that they said was for sanitation and drainage issues ku lusaka
Walla, pa Zed. Bombay drainage worth over $300m is a drop in the ocean of Lusaka filth.
koswe mupoto.fire the mayor period
Replan and redevelop Lusaka. Shanties should be done away with!!!
Shameful that in the 21st Century we are talking Cholera. And the causes are due to unplanned settlements and overpopulation in the shanties
Cholera is a shameful disease in modern age. The City of Lusaka leadership must be ashamed of itself for entertaining filthiness in the city
it’s the same freaking story every rainy season. what a shame. very frustrating. in Zambia there’s no pride. people want to look good with all these fake designer clothes and sh it like that. the mayor is one useless mofo. and the general population also don’t take pride in their surroundings. those of you who travel, compare Nairobi, even with it’s huge population, is way cleaner than lsk, don’t even let me talk about kigari…. it really upsets me!.
well,all the comments are saying the same thing every year . i couldn’t agree with you more.the street vending is major contributor to the outbreak.where do these vendors answer the calls of nature from?the drainage system has been the same since time in memorial when we had less than 5million people in the whole country.that number has tripled and you expect the same infrastructure to support triple the number of people.Surely we need to change our ways of thinking and put these leaders to task.I foresee a very huge cholera epidemic this year.God will punish us for choosing mediocre leadership.i only hope the same leadership will change things after people die like flies due to cholera.Also hope street vending will be abolished by next year.
Zambia is generally a very dirty country. Plastics are littered everywhere, poor drainages, over populated streets, no clean and adequate public conveniences, no effective municipal councils to effect the bylaws. Governance in Zambia is simply mantoombwa!