Health authorities in Ndola and other parts of the Copperbelt have placed the province on polio alert following an outbreak of the disease in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ndola District Health Management Team (DHMT) acting principal clinical officer, Lillian Nyendwa said in Ndola yesterday that measures were being put in place to ensure that as many children as possible were vaccinated and re-vaccinated against polio during the on-going Child Health Week, which started yesterday.
She said 23 clinics in Ndola had been sub-divided into 83 posts where children under the age of five years were being vaccinated against polio and other diseases.
Dr Nyendwa said all the logistics were in place and the Child Health Week commemoration activities were going on well.
“The turn-out was slow on the first day but it has started picking up in some centres. There was slight confusion on the first day because some mothers thought Child Health Week activities had been suspended during the period of national mourning (in honour of former president Frederick Chiluba),” she said.
Ndola DMHT has since intensified awareness campaign for the child health week.
Some Times reporters who visited Masala, Kabushi and Railway Clinic yesterday found mothers queuing up to have their children vaccinated.
Authorities at the clinics said the response was encouraging as there were now more people taking their children for vaccinations yesterday compared to the first day.
Meanwhile, the Child Health Week in Livingstone started on a slow pace with the peri-urban areas registering low turnout.
A spot check by the Times showed that few parents had taken their children for the vaccination programme.
Livingstone District medical officer Cliff Hara said in an interview that although the response was still low by yesterday, it was better than last year.
“We have been going round publicising the exercise and we are hoping that the situation will improve because usually, the first days are quite difficult,” Dr Hara said.
He said the population was low in the peri-urban areas of Kasiya and Victoria Falls.
Dr Hara said he was happy that most of the parents were aware of the importance of the Child Health Week as the exercise had been conducted before.
He said children would this week be given vitamin A, de-worming and other vaccines for those that were due.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Say what!!That is astonishing.And the so called ”King cobra” will eradicate polio within 90 days?!!
what has happened to bye bye POLIO? so we still have it……………
I thot polio was an extinct dinasour!! yangu newooooo!
Surprised that polio is still alive in Zambia.
A I am also suprised that some senseless people can draw a man who is not in government yet into this.
This goes to show the importance of scientific research and the meticulous compilation of accurate data on health and wealth in the nation.
people read before you comment. its not in Zambia but neighboring DRC. Zambia has just been placed on the alart
Ever head of Rotary International? talk to these guys they will be happy to assist in the eradication of Polio in Zambia as they have done in may parts of the world.
Dr Chiluba’s Aide dies
Former Aide de-camp -ADC to second republican president Dr Frederick Chiluba, Osward Mutapa has died.
His son, Osward Mutapa Junior confirmed the death to ZNBC News in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
He says his father collapsed in his moving vehicle around 13 00 hours Tuesday afternoon.
Mr. Mutapa Junior, a coach by profession, says the family would give a comprehensive statement on the death of his father later.
Mr Mutapa’s death comes barely three days after the death of Dr. Chiluba.
He was appointed body guard for Dr Chiluba in 1993.
Ends/znbc/ 22/06/11 09 53 hours