Trachoma prevention launched in Chinsali

PARENTS in Senior Chief Nkula’s area in Chinsali have been directed to take their children for preventive medication to forestall an imminent outbreak of trachoma disease in the chiefdom.

Senior Chief Nkula of the Bemba people warned of stern action against any parent who would fail to take their children to the Ministry of +ealth staff for inoculation to protect them from trachoma attack. Trachoma is a contagious bacterial infection of the eyes that causes swelling on the inner surface of the eye lids and if not treated early, it leads to blindness. The chief sounded the warning yesterday when a team from the 'istrict +ealth 2ffice in &hinsali paid a courtesy call on him to inform him about a three-day trachoma prevention exercise which was launched in Chinsali yesterday. The warning by the chief follows a report of a threat of an outbreak of trachoma in Shiwang’andu and Chinsali districts. Chief Nkula said the welfare and health of children should be a priority and any parent who would ignore the directive would face unspecified serious consequences. The chief who referred to himself as an advocate of children’s rights, said he would closely monitor the exercise to ensure that all the children in his area received the trachoma prevention drug. +e said the efforts by the Ministry of +ealth were welcome and that he would support the health staff to ensure the effective implementation of the prevention exercise. &hief 1kula also advised the health office in Chinsali to provide mobile clinics when carrying out such exercises to enable them cover many people in a short time. He lamented that clinics, especially in Chinsali, were located far apart which made it difficult for many people to access health services because of the long distances they had to walk. And speaking on behalf of the District Health Director 'r. 'avid 6ilweya, &linical &are 2fficer Andrew Chulu said some selected schools would be used as health centres for people to have easy access. Mr. Chulu said that using schools as temporary health centres for accessing the trachoma drug, would help achieve 90 percent of people targeted to be covered. Meanwhile, &hinsali 'istrict Administrative 2fficer Davie Mulambya, who represented the District Commissioner Maximo Chitambi, thanked the Chief for his support. Mr. Mulambya also appealed to Chief Nkula to inform other chiefs in Muchinga Province over the exercise so that they could also sensitise people in their chiefdoms. The programme which is sponsored by Sight Savers Zambia came as a result of a research that was conducted in the area which revealed that there was an imminent threat of trachoma outbreak in Shiwang’andu and Chinsali districts, hence, the preventive measures being launched by the Ministry of Health.