By HELLEN TEMBO –
THE United Nations (UN) in Zambia, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the Department for International Development (DFID) have commended the Government’s initiative of setting up an efficient cholera treatment hospital and for scaling up preventive interventions.
UN resident coordinator Janet Rogan said the Government’s response to the cholera epidemic was impressive and that it took a good initiative to establish a cholera treatment centre.
Ms Rogan said cholera was as a result of circumstances that surrounded certain townships in which people had no alternative sources of water apart from shallow wells, some of which were located near latrines.
She said there was need to intensify preventive measures and sensitisation of communities beyond the cholera outbreak, and called for strong partnerships with the communities, Government, UN and other partners.
“We have seen the community and the challenges of water and sanitation and where cholera comes from but it is impressive to see people getting clean and safe water from water tanks which have been provided,” she said.
Ms Rogan said this at the cholera treatment centre as Heroes Stadium recently.
Heroes Stadium treatment centre medical officer-in-charge Landry Lukisa said the centre was set up on January 7 this year to reduce the number of deaths from cholera.
Dr Lukisa said since the opening of the hospital, there was a reduction in the number of fatalities.
He said the centre had sufficient human resource and good supply of medicines and other supplies.