By Mubanga Mubanga
The country has recorded 18 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to Health minister Sylvia Masebo.
Speaking during the joint daily Cholera update with the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and Ministry of Sanitation, Masebo said the deaths recorded in the last 24 hours mainly are from Lusaka Province which is proving to be the epicenter of the disease.
“We have recorded a total of 18 deaths in the last 24 hours, of all the deaths recorded, 16 deaths occurred in the community and 2 in the cholera treatment center across the country,” Masebo said. “Notebly, all the 16 deaths occurred in Lusaka, specifically ahhhh..all 15 occurred in Lusaka district, and one in Chilanga district bringing the total to 16. Again the point is that Lusaka district actually, Lusaka district is the epicenter for cholera in the whole country.”
She also said the country recorded 457 cases with 580 discharges in the last 24 hours.
And Local Government and Housing minister Garry Nkombo said the government has heightened sensitisation and government was planning on coming up with a law to fine people who indiscriminately throw waste.
“We have also heightened our sensitisation … against indiscriminate disposal of affluent, solid waste from industries, the disposal, indiscriminate disposal of waste, solid waste in our communities because this is where it begins from,” Nkombo said.
Meanwhile, Water Development and sanitation minister Mike Mposha
dismissed claims that there is shortage of water at the cholera treatment center.
“l want to make mention that ten water bowsers have been sourced to ensure that tents we are erecting are constantly supplied with water. So we had two water bowsers coming from Ministry of Infrastructure, and we also had additional of 8 coming from the defense wings,” said Mposha.
And opposition Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba called upon every Zambian with means to play their hand in preventing and managing the cholera outbreak, given the alarming number of deaths and spiraling numbers of cholera cases across the country.
He said this after he distributed chlorine in various households in Chawama constituency.
