State receives massive aid for cholera fight

GOVERNMENT has received about 66, 000 litres of fuel to be used by refuse trucks to facilitate the removal of garbage and other unwanted items to the landfill as a way of contributing to the fight against cholera in Lusaka.

The Ministry of Health has meanwhile hailed the downward trend in the cholera infection rate in the last five days with 85 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya explained that this was in response to the massive multisectoral response mounted to eradicate the epidemic that has affected over 2, 800 residents in Lusaka.

Dr Chilufya also announced a 22 percent turnout in the on-going cholera vaccination exercise.

“There is a marked reduction in the case load. Five days ago we were recording 164 new cases per day but in the last two days, we have recorded 83 and 85 respectively.

“We have put up a robust response at our Heroes Hospital with no deaths recorded in the last 48 hours,” he said.

Dr Chilufya said the recent projections in the epidemic raised hopes for possible reopening of schools as Government stepped up the decontamination and improved water supply in education facilities.

And numerous stakeholders, including Hungry Lion, the Rotary Club of Baluba, Zambia Airports Corporation, Puma Energy Zambia and the Bankers Association of Zambia have raised the response to the fight against the water borne disease.

Juba Transport Limited has contributed about 66, 000 litres of fuel together with Puma who contributed an undisclosed quantity of fuel and 300 drums to be used as bins to facilitate garbage collection around the Lusaka city centre area.

And Hungry Lion delivered food portions to over 600 army personnel around Lusaka with K500,000 towards staff and public education materials, while Star Milling Company contributed 50 by 25 kilogramme bags of mealie meal to feed the men and women in uniform positioned in the city

Meanwhile, Trade Kings group of companies has commenced production of chlorine in response to the high demand following the epidemic as a key player in the water purification processes.

Trade Kings Company media manager James Songwe said the company was working towards manufacturing 1.4 million bottles to the value of K2 million in the next four years, with 12, 500 units per month to be distributed for free.

And National Pensions Scheme Authority and Zambia Airports Corporation have also contributed cleaning materials worth K100,000 and K30,000 respectively, in their support towards the cholera fight with chlorine bottles, water purification chemicals, face masks, gumboots and Jik for the cholera treatment centres, while PEP Stores Zambia has donated blankets, water buckets and Lifebuoy for the treatment facilities.

Unilever Zambia has also donated K200, 000 worth of products which included 29,000 cases of Lifebuoy soap, boxes of domestos and liquid Lifebuoy for hand washing while the Bankers Association of Zambia and Rotary Club of Baluba chipped in with a K100,000 cash and K20,000 in pledges respectively.

And Arkay Plastics Zambia Limited has donated a number of domestic water purifiers for the Heroes Stadium cholera centre.