Lusaka, Feb 4 Health authorities in Zambia will commence an oral cholera vaccination campaign in Chililabombwe Town in Copperbelt Province currently hard-hit by a cholera outbreak, a senior government official said.
The government has initiated discussions with the World Health Organization, Gavi, and other partners to address the cholera outbreak in the province, Minister of Health Elijah Muchima said during an update press briefing on the cholera situation.
He said that about 129,000 doses of vaccines have been earmarked for the district, and the vaccination exercise is expected to commence on February 7, reports Xinhua news agency.
"Vaccination remains a cornerstone of our cholera response strategy," he said, adding that training to prepare facilities for the exercise and public sensitisation about the disease have started.
According to him, a multisectoral stakeholder programme has been initiated to control the outbreak and prevent further spread, with the United Nations Children's Fund expected to increase the number of community-based volunteers to 150 from the current 50.
Muchima, who has been inspecting cholera-affected areas in the province since Sunday, said most of the patients are not residents of Chililabombwe but traders from other towns, who live in make-shift containers with no proper water and sanitation facilities.
According to him, water tests have confirmed contamination with human waste. In response, the government plans to drill 10 boreholes in the affected areas to provide people with clean drinking water.
The minister said Chililabombwe recorded one cholera case in the past 24 hours, while Ndola and Chingola towns in Copperbelt Province have two cases each, bringing the total number of cholera cases admitted in the province to 15. All the patients are in stable condition, with more expected to be discharged soon.
Additionally, two cases have been reported in the country's northern district of Nakonde, which brings the total number of cholera admissions countrywide to 17.
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