CHOLERA FIGHT NOT OVER YET – LILONGWE MAYOR
By Andrew Magombo – Mana
Lilongwe City Mayor, Councillor Richard Banda has warned residents against hygiene measures complacency following a substantial reduction of Cholera cases in the country with no new recorded cases in the last two months.
He sounded the alarm at the Civic Offices Chambers in Lilongwe on Tuesday when he presided over a symbolic donation of Chlorine and assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) from Lilongwe Water Sanitation Project.
Banda said the Lilongwe City Council, through Lilongwe Water and Sanitation Project, has received funding amounting to K400 million from World Bank for Cholera prevention strategy.
He said: “The primary focus is on proper solid waste management and faecal disposal at public sanitation and household level, accessing safe water in hotspot areas, enforcement of food bylaws, communication and public awareness.
“We should not say that Cholera is over. What we need is support from different stakeholders to maintain the position of hygiene as a priority.”
The Mayor added that the PPEs donation will be channelled towards Pot-to-Pot Chlorination and disinfection at household level hence names of beneficiaries and locations should be evenly distributed in reports after every activity for transparency and accountability.
The donation includes; 150 buckets of chlorine of 25 kilogrammes each, 101 heavy duty gloves, 60 cartons of disposable masks, 50 sprayers, 130 pairs of gumboots and 60 pails of 50 litres each.
Project Coordinator for Lilongwe Water Sanitation Project, Engineer Cleverson Nyondo pledged more support towards total eradication of the disease through various interventions.
Speaking after receiving the donation, Director of Health and Social Services for Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO), Dr Wilson Ching’ani said public health emergencies of Covid-19, Polio and Cholera have set precedence for continued prevention measures.
“Despite registering zero deaths today, we are yet to declare Lilongwe as cholera-free. So, we have intensified interventions such as civic education, surveillance and hygiene as preventive measures,” he said.
According to Ching’ani, the fight against cholera has been a success owing to consented efforts by stakeholders but also paid homage to the press for amplifying awareness messages which he believes has been a pivotal point in the drop of cases.
Meanwhile, Lilongwe City Council has maintained its grip on by-laws that prohibit the sale of cooked food in streets and schools as a mitigating factor to completely eradicate Cholera.
Mana/am/pk
