ZAMBIA: Bacteria on the march
The Zambian president has deployed the defence force to clean up the streets of Lusaka in a bid to combat the latest cholera outbreak, while SA battles to contain listeriosis infections
SA and Zambia are both battling bacterial diseases that have left a number of people dead and many others infected. Earlier this month Zambia’s government banned the reopening of institutions of learning countrywide until further notice due to an outbreak of cholera in the capital, Lusaka. It later revised the decision, saying schools could reopen on January 23. Government also outlawed church gatherings in Lusaka before restricting the ban to cholera epicentres only. But operations at government institutions such as national registration and passport offices remain halted until further notice. The epidemic is hitting business operations in the country. All shops in the Lusaka CBD have been closed for days now, and bars have had their hours of operation restricted. More than 20 markets have been closed, affecting the livelihoods and social security of many families. And chain stores such as Pick n Pay and food outlets such as Hungry Lion have had some branches closed after the disco...
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