By HELLEN TEMBO –
THE Ministry of Health has said they have continued to record a marked reduction in the number of new cholera cases following the robust interventions put in place to fight the disease.
Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said 20 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative number of cases to 3,444 and 70 deaths.
He said nationwide, the cumulative total was at 3,660 cases and 78 deaths and that outside Lusaka there were five new cases recorded – two in Chongwe, two in Petauke and one in Mwinilunga.
Dr Chilufya said this at a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
“Kanyama continues to record high number of cases, like 16 today, but we have continued to increase access to clean and safe water as well as burying shallow wells which appears to be the main drivers of the epidemic,” the minister said.
Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale said the local authority removed all car dealers from the Lusaka central business district because they did not have sanitary facilities just like vendors.
Mr Mwale said the local authority had put temporary measures for car dealers and they would be operating in front of Government Complex in Kamwala.
He said the car dealers promised to rent lavatories in the mean time whiles the Government was looking for a permanent place for them.
Mr Mwale said taxi drivers that were not registered would not be allowed to operate from the Lusaka central business district.
And the Chinese government has donated US$300,000 as part of the cholera response.
Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming said this was in addition to the K50,000 from the Chinese Embassy and K1 million that came from the Chinese community that was earlier donated to fight cholera.
Mr Youming said the Chinese government, in addition, pledged technical support like sinking of boreholes towards the fight against the epidemic.