Enhance sensitisation on Elephantiasis drug administration- Solwezi DC

Solwezi District Commissioner, Rosemary Kamalonga has called for enhanced sensitisation on the importance of the elephantiasis mass drug administration, slated for April 12th , 2021.

Ms Kamalonga said elephantiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases that is currently endemic in Zambia, and needs massive sensitisation on the subject, to enable effective administration of the preventive measures put in place.

“Zambia needs a healthy population in order to be developed and thrive. And as government, we still hold affirmation and promise to work towards the elimination of neglected tropical disease.” The DC lamented.

Ms Kamalonga called on residents to take necessary precautions against the disease as it is transmitted from person to person through an infected mosquito, with irreversible effects.

“The parasite enters the uninfected person and affects the lymphatic system. This infection may take up to 20 years to manifest and when it does, the disability it causes can be irreversible”, she said.

Ms Kamalonga said this when she officially opened the elephantiasis mass drug administration stakeholders sensitization meeting held in Solwezi.

Meanwhile, Acting Solwezi district Heath Director, Mulenga Sekute called on stakeholders to take a leading role to dispel all myths surrounding the mass drug administration.

Mr Sekute, said many people in the community have a misconception that any drugs being administered are related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

“There are a lot of myths and misconceptions especially as we fight the Coronavirus. People are looking at every situation with a lot of suspicion,” he said.

Mr Sekute urged stakeholders to be ambassadors and encourage residents to dispel the myths and misconceptions in order for the mass drug administration exercise to be a success.

The door to door mass drug administration exercise is scheduled to begin on April 12th, 2021, and will last for 10 days, targeting atleast 65 percent of Solwezi residents above two years old.