HEALTH Minister Sylvia Masebo says two suspected cases of Cholera have been reported at Lusaka’s Matero level one hospital.
Speaking on her behalf during a donation of liquid chlorine from Pharmanova Zambia Limited at Mtendere Clinic on Tuesday, ministry spokesperson Dr Abel Kabalo said the suspected cases were being managed and awaiting confirmatory results.
“We are here today because our disease security is yet again threatened following the confirmation of a cholera case and 2 probable cases. It is with sincere appreciation that today we receive a gift from Pharmanova to immediately control and prevent further spread of cholera. The noble gesture that you have shown us today of officially handing over 1,200 bottles of liquid chlorine at a total cost of K50,000 cannot be underrated. The chlorine will be distributed to the communities in order to prevent diarrhoea diseases, including cholera. This gesture is timely when we have recorded one confirmed, and two probable cases of cholera in Lusaka Province. The confirmed case is a 3-year-old girl who is currently admitted at Kalingalinga clinic. We also have two suspected cases being managed at Matero level one hospital awaiting confirmatory results. All the cases are interlinked to the Middle West area,” she said.
Masebo said government was committed to eliminating cholera in Zambia by 2025 in line with the “Global Roadmap to 2030” goal of ending cholera in endemic countries.
“The government, under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, remains committed to eliminating cholera in Zambia by 2025. This is consistent with the “Global Roadmap to 2030” goal of ending cholera in endemic countries. Zambia co-sponsored a resolution at the 71st World Health Assembly (WHA 71.4) in 2018 to eliminate cholera globally by 2030. To demonstrate our commitment to cholera elimination, we have in place a Multi-Sectoral Cholera Elimination Plan 2019-2025 (MCEP) and which was launched at the World Health Assembly in 2019. The Plan has outlined a comprehensive package of services to be offered in an integrated manner at national, sub national, institutional, communities and household levels to mitigate the risk of cholera outbreaks. This plan has been organized along the three axes of early detection and response to contain cholera outbreaks at an early stage, a multisectoral approach to control cholera in hotspots in the long term and an effective mechanism of coordination for technical support, resource mobilization and partnerships at local and global levels,” said Masebo.
And Pharmanova Zambia Limited representative John Chintu says the company decided to donate liquid chlorine to Mtendere Clinic after a case of cholera was reported.
“As Pharmanova Zambia Limited, we are delighted to give this donation of liquid chlorine which we believe will help to fight cases of cholera here. We decided to make this donation after a case of cholera was reported and it is our trust that this chlorine will help to purify the water that people use here. We aim to make more donations of such nature because in doing so, we shall be able to stop this disease which has just been reported,” said Chintu.
