ZANIS reports that Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Young Youming disclosed the development in Lusaka yesterday when he attended a Cholera update meeting jointly addressed by Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya and his Local Government counterpart Vincent Mwale.
Mr Youming observed that China and Zambia have been all weather friends stating that ever since cholera broke out in Lusaka last year, his government has been moved by the plight and decided to show solidarity by rendering financial and technical assistance to combat the cholera pandemic.
The Chinese envoy further announced that the Chinese community in Zambia have donated K1 million and medical supplies towards the multi-sectoral efforts of eradication Cholera while the embassy has contributed an additional K50, 000.00.
Ambassador Youming also signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Health where the Chinese government has sent medical experts to help their Zambian counterparts by sharing experiences and developing strategies to address similar pandemics and explore future cooperation.
Mr Youming said the medical experts will also provide medical services to the general public under the framework of the health cooperation framework agreement.
And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya thanked the Chinese government for the generous donation saying it will greatly help government control the outbreak of cholera in Lusaka.
Dr Chilufya praised China for continuing to be an all-weather friend to Zambia as demonstrated through her unwavering support towards the country’s infrastructure projects in sectors such as health.
The Minister said government is expanding Levy Mwanawasa Hospital to an 800 bed capacity hospital and turning the medical facility into a fully-fledged University Teaching Hospital by constructing medical university facilities with assistance from China.
He said China’s continued assistance is helping Zambia develop her human capital in order to continue providing quality health services to Zambians.
Dr Chilufya also appealed to China to help Zambia start processing medical drugs locally for the benefits of Zambians to access and benefit from improved health care services.
Meanwhile, Dr Chilufua said the country has continued to register a decrease in the number of new cases of cholera due to various interventions and strong leadership.
He said Lusaka has recorded 20 new cases as at yesterday compared to 34 for yesterday Tuesday with Kanyama epicenter accounting for 16 new cases and George compound posting one new case.
He said no deaths have been recorded in the last five days and that the cumulative recorded cholera cases stand at 3, 444 out of which 3, 350 have been treated and discharged.
Dr Chilufya said the number of patients at the Heroes treatment centre have reduced drastically from an average of 150 per week to 38.
He said health authorities have continued to undertake laboratory tests with samples confirming vibrio cholera and that there have been no resistance to drugs being administered.
The minister said government will continue to progressively open public places and trading areas in accordance with the public health regulations as seen with the reopening of schools and trading places such as markets.
Dr Chilufya said the multi sectoral response will be maintained and inspections will be increased to ensure that there are no deviations from the trajectory that has been set of containing cholera
The Minister said 5 cases of Cholera were recorded from outside Lusaka with two reported in Chongwe District, another two in Petauke District and One in Mwinilunga district.
He said the reported five cases are Lusaka linked because the five people travelled from Lusaka to the named areas and have since been isolated, treated and quarantined.
Dr Chilufya asserted that indications on the ground indicate that Cholera will ultimately be contained within the next two weeks.
And speaking at the same function, Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale said government is working round the clock to ensure that the central business district is decongested in order to avoiding putting pressure on limited sanitary services.
He said car dealers have since being removed from the central business district and have been temporarily put at the open space near the freedom statute in Kamwala area until an alternative permanent site is located.
He said government has since engaged in talks with the Zambia Railways for an alternative peiece of land around town to accommodate the car dealers.
Mr Mwale said that government will only allow selected vendors such as newspaper vendors, money transfer and talk time dealers to trade in designated areas.
He said the Lusaka City Council has among others being tasked to ensure that unregistered taxis are not allowed to conduct business in the central business district.
Mr Mwale also directed the Local Authority to investigate reports that some party officials are charging street vendors who were removed from the central business district K500 to trade in City Market and that the culprits should be arrested and prosecuted.
Meanwhile, a consignment of assorted medical logistics and materials worth US$ 66,000 donated by the Turkish Co-operation and Co-ordination Agency (TIKA) as a contribution towards containing the cholera outbreak, has been airlifted to Lusaka.
This is contained in statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by First Secretary for Press at the Embassy of Zambia in Ankara, Turkey.
The consignment ,which is a result of lobbying by Charge’ d’ Affaires at the Zambian Embassy in Ankara, Bwalya Nondo ,for assistance to supplementing government efforts in fighting Cholera, is expected in Lusaka aboard an Emirates Airline commercial flight on Saturday, January 27, 2018.
Mr. Nondo, who witnessed the dispatch of the consignment, thanked TIKA for the humanitarian assistance, which will go a long way in supplementing government efforts aimed at containing Cholera.
He said in addition to the consigned medical logistics, TIKA will procure five tonnes of chlorine from local suppliers in Lusaka to enable vulnerable communities treat their drinking water to help avert the waterborne disease.
Mr. Nondo assured TIKA Vice President for Africa, Ali Maskan that government is determined to put in place long-lasting measures such as increasing access to piped water in high density areas to avert outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Buy bins and build toilets in towns no drums and hose pipe ,please it is embarrassing for the engineers ,honestly putting drums for water in toilets
I agree with you but experience is that the bins will be stolen. At my mother’s neighborhood the council had installed those giant steel disposal bins. A few days later someone came and used a cutting torch to cut a side of the bin which I am sure he took to fabricate something or sell as scrap.
Thank you my new colonial master……what a shame.
Embarrassing. And how much was EACH fire truck (aka wheelbarrow) again?
Just read on BBC three men have been admitted to cholera treatment centre only to discover they actually poisoned by sex enhancing herbs which they had taken with beer.
ONLY?
These thieves are still recieving handouts!!