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The Ministry of Health has recorded 27 deaths from 567 new cholera cases in 24 hours, with Lusaka recording the highest.
In Lusaka alone, it recorded about 506 new cases and 26 deaths in the last 26 hours.
Minister of Health, Silvia Masebo, said the cumulative number of deaths had now hit 223 from a cumulative number of 5,463 cholera cases nationwide.
Read more: Rise in cholera cases, deaths signifies collapsing healthcare system (Video) —M’membe
The Minister gave this statement when she spoke to the media at the National Heroes Stadium, which is now the primary cholera treatment center in Lusaka, on Sunday.
“These are big numbers, we need to bring them down,” Masebo urged.
She added that so far, 1,059 cholera patients remained admitted, while 350 have recovered from the 567 new cases.
“The situation is not fully under control, I must state, but the government is doing everything possible to get to a point where I can come and stand here and say everything is under control,” she expressed.
Masebo continued to encourage members of the public to avoid buying ready-to-eat food from the streets.
She added that citizens should observe the cholera preventive guidelines as advised by health professionals.
“We must prioritise the use of clean chlorinated water and boiling water in our daily lives,” she emphasized.
Furthermore, she urged families and friends who have their loved ones admitted to avoid visiting the patients without guidance from medical professionals.
She said this was in order to contain the spread of the epidemic.
“The situation on the ground is not good,” she warned.
When addressing the measures put in place for non-compliant members of the public, Masebo said soldiers had been deployed to initiate the clean-up campaign in the city of Lusaka.
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