By Chinoyi Chipulu
Chililabombwe district commissioner Precious Njekwa says the cholera outbreak that hit the district has reduced after authorities closed down some dirty restaurants.
Njekwa said the number of daily cases dropped from 17 cases that were recorded on Saturday to six cases on Tuesday.
In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, Njekwa said authorities in the district had been providing clean water to residents.
“The cases have reduced in the last 24 hours. We have recorded six new cases from 23 to 17 now to six. We are providing clean water to residents so that they can stop using dirty wells,” Njekwa said.
She said so far, one borehole had been sunk in a bid for residents to access clean water.
“We are even distributing chlorine and taking water bowsers to places where there are no boreholes. Also we have destroyed a few makeshift stands being used as restaurants,” said Njekwa.
Since January 20, the district had recorded 117 cases of cholera with seven deaths.
The development forced health minister Dr. Elijah Muchima to visit the area to assess the situation on the ground.
Dr Muchima had threatened to close schools and Kasumbalesa border if cholera cases continued to escalate in the district.
Dr Muchima who ordered the burying of all shallow wells in Chililabombwe and Kasumbalesa border post to help contain the spread of the disease, said residents should make sure they lived in clean environments.
