Maravi

Cholera

Cholera
Written by Editor

It is embarrassing that a country like ours, which is not facing an economic crisis, should every rainy season be faced with the challenge of combating cholera. We all know how cholera comes about. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It causes a large amount of watery diarrhoea. The toxin released by the bacteria causes increased secretion of water and chloride ions in the intestine, which can produce massive diarrhoea. Death can result, within a few hours, from the severe dehydration brought about by the diarrhoea. This is what medical experts tell us.

Cholera occurs in epidemics when conditions of poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine are present. The infection is acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water.

In simpler terms, cholera is a disease associated with unhygienic conditions.

In Zambia, the main cause of cholera is poor sanitation and in some cases crowding. This is reflected clearly when we take a closer look at the areas that are usually affected by the epidemic. We are talking about shanty compounds with poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water from shallow wells.

Today, there are over 2,000 cases of cholera in Zambia. In Lusaka there are 769 cases of cholera, 472 of which are reported in Kanyama compound alone. Those who have been to Kanyama compound will have no difficulties understanding why this is so.

There are several hundreds of people living in this shanty compound with no amenities to talk about. Very few places have got running water and flushing toilets. The drainage system does not exist and so any small downpour results in floods. These floods in return expedite the contamination of drinking water, resulting in cholera.

Yes, it can be rightly argued that where personal hygiene is strictly adhered to, cholera is absent. But this whole argument should be started with the government. The government is expected to provide certain services to its people. These include good sanitation and clean water.

We have not forgotten that UNIP and Dr Kenneth Kaunda lost power to MMD in 1991, partly because of the cholera problem. The MMD used cholera as a campaign issue. They said it was unacceptable that Zambia could be having diseases like cholera. This is how Dr Boniface Kawimbe earned himself a nickname as Mr. Cholera. Dr Kawimbe was one of the MMD leaders then who strongly used the cholera problem as a campaign issue. Over 8000 Zambians had died from cholera.

Why is it that Zambia today still experiences cholera, 17 years after the MMD came to power and promised to eradicate the disease?

It is clear that there is no political will to eradicate this embarrassing disease in our country. If there was political will to decisively deal with this matter, cholera could have been a disease of the past in Zambia. The solution to this problem is known but there is no political will to implement it. If poor sanitation is the main cause of cholera, the provision of the same through either central government or the local authority is the answer to this problem. But because there is no political will from those in authority, nothing is done to upgrade the lives of our people in these areas which are more susceptible to cholera.

Last year, the government spent more than K15 billion to unblock and create some drainage system in Kanyama Constituency. This was after many lives had been lost to cholera. And we know that the government was forced to spend that money because there was a parliamentary by-election in Kanyama at the time, which they wanted to win at all costs. However, the people of Kanyama questioned the timing of this intervention by the government. In the end, an opposition candidate won.

The point we are making is that if the government used that K15 billion to improve the drainage system in Kanyama prior to the rains, floods could have been avoided and therefore very few cases of cholera could have been reported.

Now, it appears that cholera is here to stay. Our government leaders do not seem to have an idea how to deal with this problem. They seem not to understand that prevention is better than cure. Why should the government be setting aside so many billions of kwacha to treat cholera and not prevent it by providing citizens with clean water and good sanitation?

The late president Levy Mwanawasa showed some level of commitment to eradicating cholera, which commitment seems to have died with him. Levy introduced a Make Zambia Clean and Health campaign which encouraged people to observe hygiene on one hand while on the other hand encouraged the government to lead by example through the provision of clean water and good sanitation. Under this programme, we saw Lusaka city being swept clean. But today, Lusaka is a garbage city again. How can cholera be stopped when those in authority are encouraging street vending by doing nothing to stop it? Meat and other foodstuffs are sold on the streets in the most unhygienic conditions.

A healthy man is a wealthy man. Health is usually linked to the development of any country. Where people are unhealthy, there will be no production and no development in the end.

Levy set a good example by starting a campaign for cleanliness at a household level while at the same time committing his government to providing for its people in terms of clean water and good sanitation. Under this programme, we saw some water projects being commissioned in Lusaka’s Matero township and several vehicles were bought for garbage collection. Street vendors all over the country were discouraged or completely stopped.

And these efforts paid off as we saw from cholera statistics. There was a huge drop in cholera cases and deaths.

This time, cholera cases were reported even before the onset of the rains in October. The last rainy season, Zambia experienced some floods but the cases of cholera were not as many.

If Zimbabwe is able to contain cholera, with all the problems in that country, why should Zambia fail to eradicate the disease?

There is need for our government to find a lasting solution to this cholera problem. The billions of kwacha that are misapplied or plundered by politicians and other public workers can be utilised to sink boreholes for our people or generally provide clean water and good sanitation. With political will, cholera can be fought and defeated. All efforts should be directed at preventing cholera and not treating it. It is more costly to treat than to prevent.

Labels: CHOLERA, GERRY CHANDA, UTILITIES

posted by MrK @ 9:53 AM