By ZAMBIAN NEWS FEATURES CORRESPONDENT
CHOLERA has broken out in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, where three cases of the disease have been recorded. Another case of the disease has been confirmed in the Southern Province district of Sinazongwe.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe confirmed the disease outbreak in both Lusaka and Sinazongwe in a statement Monday.
“In Lusaka two cholera cases were confirmed at Chawama Hospital while another one was confirmed at Kanyama. Chawama Compound reported 17 suspected cholera cases while Kanyama reported two,” Dr Mbewe said in the statement.
Dr Mbewe, however, said that all the patients have been discharged adding that no deaths have so far been reported.
The first cholera case in the capital was reported on November 14 2010 but the situation was under control and no death has been reported.
The spokesperson said the health ministry had distributed chlorine and disinfected houses and toilets in the affected areas apart from setting up treatment centres at Kanyama, Chawama, and Matero referral centres.
“The ministry is prepared to confront any outbreak of cholera and has also intensified community sensitization in the affected two compounds. The ministry has also procured enough commodities to manage cholera cases,” Dr Mbewe said.
He said the ministry had put up measures to prevent further outbreak of the disease and urged people to observe high levels of hygiene by washing their hands before eating and boiling drinking water among others.
Cholera outbreaks have become an annual ritual for the last 20 years or so in this southern African country where urban floods, which bring about cholera in cities such as Lusaka, are common.
(Edited by Gershom Ndhlovu)