Ministry to prevent outbreaks in camps

Ministry of Health says it will adopt measures to prevent disease outbreaks in evacuation camps in Nkhotakota District.

Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said this on Tuesday when she visited Lunga Evacuation Camp in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mphonde and Ngala Evacuation Camp in T/A Kanyenda in the district.

She said there are always health hazards where people are overcrowded; hence, her ministry’s commitment to come up with measures to prevent potential outbreaks in the camps.

“The country is still registering cholera cases. So, we want to ensure that there are no outbreaks in camps,” said Chiponda.

She said the measures include deploying health surveillance assistants in camps to engage people on personal hygiene and making available medicines in camps.

Chiponda also said her ministry was vigilant to ensure that people in camps do not catch pink eye disease which has affected many people in some parts of the country.

Nkhotakota North legislator Henry Chimunthu Banda (Democratic Progressive Party) commended the Ministry of Health for adopting measures to prevent disease outbreaks in camps.

“The gesture will promote good health among people in the camps,” he said.

Lunga Evacuation Camp chairperson Luka Mtata said they needed more shelters to accommodate people at the camp.

The floods in Nkhotakota affected at least 16 415 people and 10 529 are living in 11 camps.