Source: CCTV news client of China Central Radio and Television
Editor: Han Yue
At present, the African country Zambia is experiencing a cholera epidemic, especially in some poor communities in the capital Lusaka.
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Kanyama, located in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, is one of the hardest-hit areas of the cholera epidemic in the region, and according to the observation of the reporter of the main station, the discarded waste can be seen everywhere here. Chilobia, a resident of the community, told reporters that the wells in the community are relatively shallow, and it is currently the rainy season in Zambia, and the rainwater mixed with dirt can easily pollute the well water. In addition, most residents in the community are still using pit latrines and there are multiple leaks in the water pipes, which are all contributing to the susceptibility of clean water sources to contamination. Chilobia urged the community to pay more attention to personal hygiene, and self-vaccination is the only effective way to prevent cholera.
Chilobia, Resident of Kanyama Community: I would like to appeal to the community to strictly follow the cholera prevention measures, to use the toilets correctly and to ensure that they wash their hands after using the toilets. I know it's expensive to purify water through chlorine, but we can use the cheapest methods, such as boiling the water for drinking, using containers that can be sealed to store drinking water, rather than using open buckets to store it. These are ways to ensure the safety of our drinking water so that we can prevent cholera at home.
As the cholera outbreak has spread to several provinces in Zambia since October 2023 and the number of cholera cases is increasing, the Zambian government has implemented measures to contain the outbreak, including providing clean drinking water and chlorine to purify water to the hardest-hit areas, cleaning pit latrines, filling and discarding shallow wells, strengthening waste management and garbage management in communities, and educating communities about cholera prevention.
Zambian Health Department Spokesperson, Kalangwa: We are working to curb the spread of cholera in communities through a variety of methods, and we provide chlorine to purify water to communities and prevent the spread of cholera in health facilities. We are also working with the Lusaka Water Company to provide clean drinking water to the hardest-hit areas, and we are also working with local governments on waste management and waste management.