SCHOOL CALENDAR SUSPENDED
GOVERNMENT has deferred the 2018 school calendar nationwide until the cholera situation is brought under control following increased number of new cases of over 90 within 24 hours.
And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has announced plans to commence cholera vaccinations in Lusaka targeting upto four million people especially school going children to offer protection against the further spread of the disease among the people.
Dr Chilufya said the move was aimed at correcting the situation as well as a remedy against future outbreaks to help improve water and sanitation facilities in schools and to protect children and members of the general public from contamination.
Dr Chilufya made the announcement at a joint press briefing held with Minister of General Education (who is acting minister of Higher Education) Dennis Wanchinga yesterday.
He said Government would not reopen primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions to avoid risk of spreading the disease.
“We do not want school children to move from outside the epi centre to various schools where they will mingle with other children or move out of Lusaka to other parts of the country so that we start firefighting in different parts of the country.
“This is an important measure and will apply to all schools nationally, and we will be able to review this decision by January 30, 2018,” he said.
He explained that this decision was also to allow the Ministry to work with school administrations countrywide to improve water supply and sanitary conditions in all education facilities to help create long term solutions to prevent future disease out breaks.
And Dr Wanchinga added that the directive was meant for all education institutions including universities which must comply without fail, including those that have already opened, and must close immediately until further notice.
He said schools will not reopen on 15th January 2018 as scheduled but instead the move would be reviewed on 30th January to ascertain the cholera situation in the country.
He said the Ministry of Education and Higher Education were working in close collaboration with the inter-sectoral collaboration in line with the Presidential directive to escalate efforts against cholera.
He said this comes in the wake of escalating cholera infections being recorded on a daily basis with over 90 cases recorded in the last 24 hours.
And Dr Chilufya has announced the cancelation of all public gatherings especially in epi centres including church gatherings, funerals and other communal activities to avoid continued transmissions.
He said the country has recorded upto 2047 accumulative numbers with 47 deaths in Lusaka alone, while one death each have been recorded in Lundazi, Kapiri Mposhi and Kitwe respectively.
Meanwhile, Dr Chilufya has announced that the current clean up exercise underway across the country should not just be in view of the cholera outbreak, but must be a way of life for all citizens to avert future disease outbreaks.