Zambia, Chipata: Chipata City Mayor George Mwanza has embarked on a six-day campaign of cleaning and disinfecting public places and townships to complement government efforts in the fight against cholera.
George Mwanza, who instituted the cleaning exercise in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in the province, has, among other things, donated chlorine and disinfected water points in various households.
“We have taken a community outreach to chlorinate the water sources in the city, in the compounds; right now, we are in Mchenga compound and will be moving to other compounds of the city,” he said.
The Mayor noted that water posed a threat of being a vector of cholera to residents in the townships due to the proliferation and proximity of pit latrines to water points such as wells and boreholes.
“There is a high population of toilets in the area, and that is the reason we have carried all forms of chlorination material. We have granular chlorine that we are using to chlorinate the wells for our community, and we also have liquid chlorine, which we are giving to households,” he said.
Mayor Mwanza has since appealed to residents of Chipata District to join hands in the fight against cholera by observing high hygiene standards. Meanwhile, residents have lauded the collaborative efforts between the Mayor and government, stating that it is a life-saving initiative.
“We are grateful to the Mayor for having provided us with this chlorine so that we can disinfect our water. To fight this disease, we indeed need collaborative efforts, “said Edina Mkandawire.
Another beneficiary of the chlorine donated by the Mayor, Yamikani Banda, noted the initiative will help in reducing cases of cholera affecting children and parents alike in the district.
Chipata City Council procured Personal Protective Equipment (PPES) and chlorine, among other cholera mitigation supplies, to the tune of K150,000 to aid the campaign against cholera in the Chipata district.