Flooding and Cholera Outbreak in Zambia
MARCH 30, 2010
(3/2010) Zambia flooding and cholera outbreak
Zambia has been experiencing torrential rains since mid March 2010. The rains have led to flooding in the Eastern, Central, Lusaka, North-Western, and Southern, provinces.
Due to the heavy rains, and the poor drainage system, the water, sanitation, and hygiene situation has greatly deteriorated especially in the City of Lusaka. Shallow wells, which are a source of drinking water, have been contaminated with dirty running water much of which is from collapsed pit latrines. Further, the water table has also risen thereby worsening the sanitary situation in the affected areas as it has become difficult to construct new pit latrines. Consequently there has been an outbreak of cholera and other diseases. Cholera is a deadly waterborne disease and can kill between 4 - 6 hours from the time a person has been infected.
As of 24 March 2010, a cumulative total of 2,521 cholera admissions were confirmed in Lusaka. A cumulative total of 41 deaths due to cholera were also confirmed at the same time. Apart from the known number of 17 people reported to have left the cholera treatment centres in Lusaka, there are also reported cases of households hiding information on cholera cases for fear of stigmatization. Infected people in such households are likely to stay away from hospitals out of ignorance and thereby exacerbating the spread of cholera. The worst affected areas in the City of Lusaka are shanty compounds. The highest cases of new admissions as of 24 March 2010 - in descending order - were from Kanyama followed by Chipata, Kamwala, Chawama including Kuku and Misisi, Mandevu, George, Matero and Makeni compounds. There is a high probability of an increase in heavy rains up to the second week of April and cases of cholera infection are expected to rise.
Among the contributing factors to the spread of cholera in Zambia is the poor management of solid waste disposal. In response to this challenge various private sector organizations have been sub-contracted by the Lusaka City Council to manage the solid waste disposal in various communities. Most of these are serving the low density areas while the high density areas have very poor and in some cases no system for disposal of collected garbage from the various households. As a result, communities have resorted to erratic dumping covering even road networks. Each Household is supposed to pay an amount of money to have the garbage collected but most households are unable to pay. Households dig and bury or burn the waste. The majority wait for the night and throw the garbage along the roads or any vacant spaces within the community. These are breeding grounds for various diseases carrying pathogens, compromising the overall community hygiene and sanitation.
The way food is handled in most peri urban areas is another major challenge contributing to the spread of cholera. Communities use the unsafe water sources for cleaning and packaging the various food items. This leads to the continued spread of waterborne diseases. Foods have also been eaten cold, sometimes even after staying overnight in homes.
Immense damage on infrastructure, homes and crops is reported in all the five provinces affected by flooding. In Lusaka for example, the water levels in some shanty settlements was as high as to window level. Some houses and toilets collapsed leading to an outbreak of waterborne diseases. Over three hundred (300) people affected by the floods in Lusaka have been temporarily resettled at the Independence Stadium by the Zambian Government.
The report from the Chavuma District Council on 25th March 2010 shows that communities on both sides of the Zambezi River have been cut off from each other by floods and the areas are inaccessible. Toilets on the west bank are reported to have collapsed and flooded with water and thereby polluting the water points. Chavuma has a population of 41,348 with a total of 6,892 Households. Out of the 6,892 Households, houses for 2,091 households collapsed and toilets for 3,200 households collapsed. Schools were also not spared. Out of the total of 53 schools in the district, 14 schools were affected of which 7 are in a collapsing state. Toilets for 34 schools have collapsed. (Chavuma District Council, 25/03/2010). Overall, Chavuma has 50 well functioning wells, 36 with bacteria and 28 wells have been tested positive with E. Coli. This means that the 28 wells are faecal contaminated. Chavuma District Council has further indicated the required items as liquid Chlorine, tents and relief food. Most of the fields have been flooded and bridges connecting to the feeder roads have been washed away.
In Monze District, four (04) villages have been affected by hailstorm. Ng’andu, Mwiinga Malimvwa, Chaleeba and Mumwanga villages in Singonya area in Chief Ufwenuka’s area had a total of 138 villages affected. The most affected are Nangandu village with 13 Households representing 100 people. Crop fields for 10 of the 13 households were destroyed. In Mwiinga Malimvwa, 23 HH’s involving 137 people had their crops destroyed. Nine (09) Households had their houses destroyed. The Crop Assessment Report (February, 2010) for the District reflects that fields were destroyed and households are in dire need of relief food (Source: Chairperson, DMMU, Monze District, 25/03/2010).
Crop fields in Lundazi and Mabwe districts in the Eastern province, Kabwe district in the Lusaka province and six districts in the Central province are reported to have been completely destroyed by floods. Most of the crop fields have either been washed away or submerged. Consequently, most people in these areas have been displaced from their homes and others lost all their crops that were due for harvest in April and May 2010.
Fortunately, no deaths have been reported so far although the scale of damage on roads and bridges was very high.
ACTIONS TO DATE, AND EMERGENCY NEEDS:
Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) is providing curative care at the cholera centres, and projects that the above figures could rise during the last weeks of March. Matero Cholera Centre for example reported an increase in admissions to 70 – 100 patients per day representing an increase of 30%. A total of 611 new cases of cholera were reported during the week starting14th and ending 21st March 2010 in Lusaka alone.
Currently Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) are offering treatment and health services to cholera patients at all the Cholera Centres in Lusaka whilst the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) are striving to offer preventive health services at community level to the most affected areas.
The CCZ has been mobilizing volunteers from local churches and supervising the distribution of chlorine from the City Council of Lusaka and organisations such as UNICEF and Society for Family Health. The volunteers have also been doing door to door campaigns on good hygiene to prevent further spread of cholera. LWF/ZCRS has been conducting needs assessments within Lusaka and sharing information with members of the ACT Alliance Forum.
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