HH attends SADC cholera meeting

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema yesterday attended the Southern African Development Community (SADC) virtual extraordinary meeting on the outbreak of cholera in the region.

President Hichilema attended the meeting at State House in Lusaka, which was officially opened by Angolan President, Joao Lourenco.

And President has called for a more robust and collective approach, among the SADC member states, to effectively prevent the spread of cholera in the region.

President Lourenco also called for concerted efforts from cooperating partners.

He says the SADC region cannot record any meaningful development, without a solid and collective responsibility, from the member countries in curbing the waterborne disease.

The Angolan President, who is the current SADC chairperson, has observed that epidemics such as cholera know no boundaries, hence the need by member countries to find a lasting solution.

He expressed optimism that the cholera situation affecting the SADC region will be prevented because of the efforts coming from cooperating partners, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control Prevention, among others.

Mr Lourenco pledged his country’s commitment to lead other countries in the SADC region, in devising means to tackle the cholera situation and other diseases that are affecting the people.

He also called for a holistic approach and emphasised the need to continuously improve the quality of water supply to the people in communities to avoid the disease outbreak.

He has urged health personnel in the region to scale up sensitisation to members of the public in communities, on the outbreak of cholera and how to prevent it.