By CHILA NAMIKO-
GOVERNMENT has called on the private sector to intensively help in disseminating preventive measures to people against the deadly Ebola-virus which has broken out in West Africa.
Southern Province Permanent Secretary Anne Sinyangwe also urged the media to effectively sensitise the masses particularly those in rural areas where the Ebola-virus news was not known much.
Ms Sinyangwe said Government’s desire was to ensure information on Ebola prevention reached all parts of Zambia hence the need for the private sector and the media to join in sensitising the masses.
She was speaking in Choma at Adatsra Primary School at the weekend in a speech read for her by Provincial Administrative officer Jeram Zulu at a sensitisation meeting on the Ebola-virus.
“We want this information on Ebola-virus to reach all the districts and outskirts, the media is a vehicle through which this information can effectively be disseminated,” Ms Sinyangwe said.
She said at the meeting attended by various public and private sector employees that the fight against Ebola-virus required collective efforts of all stakeholders to partner with Government.
Provincial medical officer, Jelita Chinyonga said health personnel in the province had been sensitised on how to contain the Ebola-virus in case of any outbreak.
“This is a very important meeting because we don’t want Ebola in this province and the country at large, let’s work together in putting more preventive measures against this disease,” she said.
She said lodge and hotel proprietors in Livingstone and other parts of the province had also been sensitised on how to detect guests with Ebola symptoms.
Provincial Chief Environmental Health officer Emmanuel Kooma said although Zambia had not yet recorded any Ebola case, there was need for citizens to report to health authorities any person suspected of having symptoms of the disease.