Sylvia Masebo, the Minister of Health, stated that five persons died from cholera in the previous 24 hours as the outbreak spreads across the country, affecting a total of 12 districts.
During a news conference in Lusaka on Thursday morning, Minister Masebo revealed that there had been 2,473 documented cases of cholera since the beginning of the year, with 74 deaths. Currently, 207 people are being treated at Cholera Treatment Centres across the country.
Kapiri Mposhi, Kabwe, Petauke, Vubwi, Chadiza in Eastern Province, and Mumbwa, Chibombo, and Mpulungu, among others, are among the towns affected.
Minister Masebo urged citizens to prioritise preventive measures, emphasising the “3 C’s to Kick Out Cholera”: Clean Water, Clean Hands, and Early Childhood Care. To control the spread of cholera, she emphasised the necessity of drinking clean water, exercising basic hand hygiene, and seeking early treatment.
Masebo, the Health Minister, offered an update on the most recent instances, indicating that 111 new cholera cases had been registered in the previous 24 hours. She voiced concern about the spread of cholera, which has now been detected in the Eastern, Central, and Northern Provinces.
The government has banned street vending in response to the mounting situation. Local Government and Rural Development Minister Gary Nkombo implemented Statutory Instrument number 18 of 2018, which criminalises street buying and selling. Minister Nkombo emphasised the importance of maintaining excellent sanitary standards in pubs, bus stops, churches, sporting facilities, and other public spaces.
Mike Mposha, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, discussed government plans to address water and sanitation concerns. To provide water, the government has built water tanks in underserved areas, and plans are in place to empty 20,000 pit latrines in Lusaka.
The three ministers made their remarks at an Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Cholera in Lusaka, emphasising the urgency and coordination required to tackle the outbreak.
