Zambia has said it is determined to eliminate the cholera epidemic which has perennially been ravaging the country by implementing hygiene and water and sanitation programmes that would prevent the outbreak of the epidemic in the future.
Zambia has informed the United Nations that the high level political commitment exhibited by His Excellency, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the President of the Republic of Zambia was critical in halting the cholera epidemic that ravaged Lusaka and other parts of the country in January this year.
Ministry of Health Director of Public Health, Dr Andrew Silumesi has told the United Nations that following the outbreak of cholera in Zambia, His Excellency President Lungu mobilized his Cabinet and appointed a Committee of Ministers to oversee the fight against the epidemic to stop its spread in the shortest time possible.
Dr Silumesi said His Excellency, President Lungu as Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces directed that the Zambia Army should immediately take over the task of clearing the garbage clean up all the City centres across the country as a means of halting the spread of cholera.
Dr Silumesi said this at the ongoing United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York side event under the theme; “Driving gains in Health, Nutrition through Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.”
He said the last outbreak of cholera in Zambia was an important lesson and that it was encouraging that the political leadership at the highest level was involved in combating the epidemic.
“Zambia has just come out of a ravaging cholera outbreak which was fiercely fought in collaboration with our bilateral and multilateral agencies. Critical to the fight of the epidemic was the high political will of the country’s political leadership. His Excellency, President Edgar Lungu exhibited the highest level of leadership and appointed a Committee of Ministers of Health, Education, Local Government including water and sanitation institutions to spearhead the fight against the spread of cholera,” Dr Silumesi said.
Dr Silumesi told the delegates to the ongoing High Level Political Forum that effects of the cholera outbreak in Zambia were evident in the public health and economic sectors and that the country was deprived of certain benefits as businesses and commercial activities came to halt thereby affecting many households.
He said the response to the fight against the epidemic brought out the best of how a nation could respond to a threatening situation and how best to move forward in improving hygiene and sanitation.
And World Bank Lead Economist, Water Global Practice Dr Luis Andres told the UN that about 2.9 million people across the globe had been victims of cholera and that the epidemic was a revelation of extreme poverty among nations affected by cholera.
Dr Andres stated that cholera was by and large a political issue and that it required the highest political will to combat, especially in areas where the poorest of the poor are found.
He revealed that according to the World Bank, countries that were worst hit by cholera included Nigeria, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but expressed hope that chances of eliminating the epidemic were visible.
This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary for Press at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations Wallen Simwaka.
Good intentions, however under P.F Corruption reigns supreme, therefore Cholera will always be a feature in Zambia, as 95 percent of P.F officials are Belly politicians.
Imagine a kambwanga like Miles Samoa, after tasting hunger. He will be stealing like there’s no tomorrow.
“…..His Excellency, President Edgar Lungu exhibited the highest level of leadership and appointed a Committee …”
What a load of rubbish ….after spending $17 billion , 8 miles from state house people still drink water from shallow wells dug next to pit latrines , while the corrupt theif lungu has been touring the globe……and now these useless bootlickrrs like this Dr Silumesi are heaping praise on lungu for something that should not have gone that far in the first place……..usless monkey…
PF is not serious about ending cholera. i saw videos of HH & GBM passing through Kalingalinda which is within in the city; and I saw street vendors and rubbish which makes me say that PF is really not serious about cleanness in our cities;
The government of Zambia ministry of Health,Lusaka,District health office is full of jokers.How can they even talk of eradicating Cholera when up to now people who worked during the oral cholera vaccine period have not been paid.Please be serious Lusaka District Health office.