THE cholera that has broken out in Mpulungu district should be brought under control as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the country.
That there have been 10 cases recorded already in the rural district is worrying because human life is at risk.
District commissioner Juliana Chizu said on Thursday three people are admitted to Mpulungu Health Centre and that six others had been discharged.
Cholera is not new to Zambia as it has been breaking out almost every rainy season.
We note that the outbreaks have been more frequent in areas with water bodies such as lakes and rivers and densely populated settlements.
It is good to hear that a team of medical workers has been sent to the district to help contain the disease before it takes any life.
Everything should be done to ensure that it does not spread to other parts of the district and the rest of Zambia.
This disease should be fought with the aggression it deserves because of its potential to cause death.
In January last year, it broke out in Nchelenge where it killed three people and left 64 others hospitalised, but an intensive intervention by the government and members of the community prevented the loss of more lives and the further spread of the disease.
There is need to come up with long-term strategies for the prevention of the disease, and the intensification of the measures that are already in place.
Cholera has become a seasonal public health headache to the government. Every rainy season it is reported in one part of the country or another.
While we appreciate the efforts that have been put in place over the years, there is need for the intensification of these measures.
More emphasis should be placed at community level interventions as they have proved to be more effective.
According to a study conducted by the research and development department of the Ministry of Health recently, the number of cases increased from 200-300 between 1978 and 1980 to 6,255 between 1991 and 1992.
The study was conducted to establish how communities have responded to cholera outbreaks in Kaputa, Kitwe, Lusaka and Mbala.
The authors of the report on the study, Janet Chime and Edward Kapwepwe, concluded in their abstract that “cholera has become one of the most persistent epidemics in Zambia”.
This conclusion is supported by the findings of another study on the outbreaks of cholera in Lusaka.
The findings of the study, which was carried out by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and published in the American Journal of Public Health, identified a link between the cholera outbreaks and the poor drainage network in Lusaka.
“Insufficient coverage of drainage networks elevated the risk of cholera outbreaks. Integrated development is required to upgrade high-risk areas with sufficient infrastructure for a long-term cholera prevention strategy,” the report says.
And according to the World Health Organisation the number of cholera cases significantly increased in 2006 after a period of relative decline.
“In recent years most of the world’s cholera cases have been recorded in sub-Saharan Africa, where endemicity is exacerbated by poor living conditions,” it is quoted as saying in the journal.
This is a true reflection of the realities prevailing in Zambia today. Poor access to clean and safe water, which is compounded by poverty, increases the risk of cholera outbreaks.
We are happy, however, that there are efforts already aimed at addressing these weaknesses.
The Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit of the Office of the Vice -President have been trying their best to improve the drainage systems in the capital city.
Everything should be done to completely ‘banish, the waterborne disease from our country.
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