Sat, 30 Dec 2017 13:03:23 +0000
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has called for the immediate ban of street vending and closure of Soweto and other affected markets to stop the spread of cholera.
And the President has engaged the military in enforcing and maintaining sanitation in Lusaka.
Special Assistant to the President for press and public relations, Amos Chanda announced at a joint press brefing with the Ministry of Health and Local Government in Lusaka yesterday that the President has directed all the three wings of the defence forces to join the Ministry of Health and Lusaka City Council in escalated efforts to contain the spread of cholera in the city. President Lungu has reviewed the ongoing interventions led by the Ministry of Health and Lusaka City Council and came to the conclusion that emergency steps need to be taken to stem the tide of the epidemic which has now spread to new areas outside the zones where the deadly waterborne disease broke out in October.
And Mr. Chanda announced that the government has so far spent K192 million in providing clean water to affected areas.
He expressed concern that the decision by the President was because more recently the outbreak has spread to low-density areas “Despite the commendable efforts and interventions instituted by multisectoral teams at all levels, the outbreak has continued with 1, 550 cases recorded cumulatively with 168 undergoing treatment as at 06:00 hours on 29th December 2017,” Mr Chanda said.
He said Lusaka has been recording an average of 60 new cases every day.
Mr. Chanda said while the outbreak was initially linked to contaminated water from shallow wells and unsanitary conditions in the residential and public areas affected, a new discovery has revealed that now the spread of cholera is being propagated through contaminated food as evidenced by the recent analysis of food samples carried out from Soweto market
And the Minister of Health, Dr Chitalu Chilifya has warned against public gatherings in affected areas.
Dr.Chilufya said gatherings of people exceding the five will not be allowed.
