Stemming “rapid urbanization” among Strategies to Address Cholera in Zambia: Jesuit Priest

Fr. Muyebe says that the  2023 National Decentralization Policy “must go far enough to create economic opportunities in rural areas to encourage people, especially the youths to work and earn a decent living in rural areas.”

“It cannot be overemphasized that although Lusaka is the nerve centre of economic activities in Zambia, it has no capacity to decently provide for its ever-growing huge population,” the Lusaka-based Jesuit Priest further says.

He adds that population growth in Lusaka has “led to overcrowding in unplanned settlements where people are surviving on a senseless and futureless subsistence, with no savings, no pension and no dignified human existence”. 

The millions of people in Zambia’s capital city dispose of garbage, which “is horrendous and chokes all the arteries of Lusaka.”

“The indiscriminate disposal of garbage and waste guarantees a city that wallows in its own filth. Drainages are clogged, waste collects everywhere, and it becomes the breeding ground for disease,” the Executive Director of JCTR laments in his January 22 statement.

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He notes that neither the creation of new settlements nor decongesting highly populated areas will address “the culture of seeing nothing wrong with rampant littering and cohabiting with filth until the population adopts a mind-set and behaviour change in solid waste management and hygiene practices.”

“Community engagement for adoption of good solid waste management and hygiene practices through mobilizing community leaders as agents of change is critical,” he emphasizes. 

Fr. Muyebe also calls for prioritizing of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities “especially in high density locations, addressing humanitarian crises and climate change impact resulting from flooding and droughts that cause disruption of access to water and sanitation services, and enhancing community engagement to promote behaviour change in hygiene practices and around food safety, household water treatment and storage and solid waste management.”

While WASH facilities are important, he says that he finds it unfortunate that the water and sanitation budget in Zambia was reduced from K2.3 billion (US$86.6m) in 2023 to K1.9 billion (US$71.5m) in the 2024 budget.

In his statement shared with ACI Africa, Fr. Muyebe emphasizes the need to adequately fund the sector saying, “It is pivotal for ensuring access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities, which are fundamental for public health and well-being.”

The Catholic Priest adds that the drainage and sewerage systems in Lusaka need “serious attention.” 

He goes on to laud President Hakainde Hichilema for forming a task force comprising the ministries of Health, Infrastructure, Local Government, Water Development and Community Development to focus on the enforcement of the preventive measures and guidelines as stipulated in SI number 5 issued by the Minister of Health.

He says that while formation of the task force is commendable, the government “must seriously consider reviving and implementing the first country Multisectoral Cholera Elimination Plan (MCEP) of 2018, which was a product of close collaboration of multiple disciplines and stakeholders including government line ministries, health partners and donors.”

MCEP, Fr. Muyebe explains, “is based on a comprehensive, multisectoral and adaptable strategy with a three-pronged approach: early detection and quick response to timely mitigate any outbreak, a multisectoral approach to prevent cholera in hotspots, and an effective mechanism of coordinating technical support, resource mobilization and partner engagement.” 

“Although the plan was developed during the reign of the previous government, the current government must rise above party politics to embrace and implement redeemable aspects of this plan for the benefit of the country and its people,” the Jesuit Priest says.

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Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.