UNICEF, AVIC step up to fight cholera

JOHN CHAAMBWA,
KELVIN MBEWE,
CLAVER MUTINTA
Lusaka
UNITED Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated 320,000 sachets of oral rehydration salt (ORS) while AVIC International is helping in the provision of clean water to help stop the spread of cholera.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary technical services Kennedy Lishimpi, who received the ORS – used for rehydration of cholera patients said the sachets will be distributed in the rehydration points as they play a crucial role in providing immediate relief to patients, mitigating the impact of the disease before they can be transferred to the designated cholera treatment centre.
Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo on Thursday announced that National Heroes Stadium had been designated as a central cholera treatment centre, where all patients in Lusaka will be moved to.
“Everyone with suspected symptoms should be brought to the health centre,” Dr Lishimpi said when he received the ORS at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supply Agency (ZAMMSA) in Lusaka today.
He said the ministry, working with other stakeholders, has implemented various measures to deal with the outbreak.
“We are working with DMMU [Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit], Ministry of Water and Sanitation, [and] Zesco also to ensure that we have power 24/7 at cholera treatment centres,” Dr Lishimpi said. “Government has provided funds for that.
“Let us work together to ensure that there are no more deaths, cholera is a preventable disease.”…https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home