Cholera has broken out in Lusaka and Sinazongwe district in Southern Province with four cases confirmed so far.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe disclosed that three cases of cholera were reported in Chawama and Kanyama compounds while one was reported in Sinazongwe.
Dr. Mbewe said of the three cholera cases reported in Lusaka, two cases were confirmed at Chawama Hospital while one was confirmed at Kanyama clinic.
[pullquote]“While the ministry has put up measures to prevent further outbreak of the disease, it is urging people to observe high levels of hygiene by not forgetting to wash their hands always before eating and boiling drinking water among others”, he said.[/pullquote]
He told ZANIS in a statement in Lusaka today that Chawama compound has since reported 17 suspected cholera cases while Kanyama reported two.
Dr .Mbewe stressed that the situation is under control as all the patients have been treated and discharged and no deaths have been recorded.
The Ministry of Health Spokesperson disclosed that the first cholera case in Lusaka was reported on November 14, 2010.
He said the Ministry of Health has to this effect distributed chlorine and disinfected houses and toilets in the affected areas.
Dr. Mbewe further disclosed that his ministry has also set up treatment centres at Kanyama, Chawama, and Matero reference.
He said his ministry is prepared to confront any outbreak of cholera and has since intensified community sensitization in the affected two compounds in Lusaka, adding that the ministry of health has also procured enough drugs to manage cholera cases.
“While the ministry has put up measures to prevent further outbreak of the disease, it is urging people to observe high levels of hygiene by not forgetting to wash their hands always before eating and boiling drinking water among others”, he said.
[ ZANIS ]
We are a country of people who learn history but we never learn from history.
Can we change this season from rain season to cholera season?
20 years of MMD and still we get this problem year after year. They promised this would change once voted into office back in 1991. Failures!
Demolish the shanty settlements, build rental units in these places, have running water toilets incorporated in the units, burry all pit latrines, and put up good drainage systems. No rocket science knowledge is needed to solve this problem. Unilateral removal of people from these settlements will be met with resiststance, however, dictatorial leadership has to ensue to solve the problem. We got to move on to other development tasks.
Zambian lives are so cheap…nobody cares even if cholera kills people…action will only be taken if there was a cholera outbreak in state house…Sell lusaka to invetsors ,,maybe this problem will be done with..lol
#3 i AGREE WITH YOU, SHAME ON THESE SHAMELSS THIEVES ALL THEY ARE GOOD AT IS STEALING AND FLIYING, THIS IS ONE PROBLEM WHICH IS COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE, YOU DON”T NEED ANY CLINICAL TRIALS FOR HEAVENS SAKE!
#3 good points though i’d go further with draconian measures on any street food vendors,restaurants,strict garbage disposal and collection rules & fines and make sure the new rules are not just for cholera containment but they are there to stay.People should be made to live as though they’re expecting VIP’s every single day with high standards.Yes,dictatorial rules are what has made Rwanda a better,cleaner and more dynamic country
This years rainy season’s prediction:
1) A number of houses will collapse due to heavy rains in Kanyama, Chawama, Ng’ombe. This will be casued by the poor infrastructure of these houses.
2) There will be a number of floods in some or all of the above mentioned and many more places in Lsk. eg. Kamwala shopping area.
3 A number of bridges on roads leading to rural areas will be washed away.
4 There will be an increase in the cholera cases.
5 Malaria cases will increase due to stagnant water that these rains will bring.
6 The MMD govt will ‘assure’ the nation that their govt is doing everything to take care of the above issues. WILL YOU BELIEVE THEM AND STILL VOTE FOR THEM IN NEXT YEARS ELECTIONS WITH THE HOPE THAT BY 2011-2012 RAINY SEASON THIS PROBLEM OF FLOODS WILL BE…
#3 that is the way forward. Zambia needs a dictator, an uncle Bob type who can tell people to move and they move. These shanties should have been a thing of the past. A functioning govt should not have been pledged by cholera year in and year out. With filth all over Lusaka and all of Zambia, it is not uncommon to hear of cholera cases. In this day and age, I can’t believe that we still have pit latrines in towns. Selling food on city and town streets should be a criminal offence. Sadly, it is all taljk and no action per Zed.
The botom line is who are local MPs for the area, they should have mitigatred shuch happenings. You will most likely find they are PF MPs presiding over such scuffrings. That is the oppsition way. No plan, just oppose, thats why are opposition