Filthy pubs to be closed in Rumphi to prevent cholera – Council

Rumphi District Council says it intends to ban sale of certain food items and close down filthy drinking joints to prevent cholera outbreak.

Rumphi District Council’s Director of Planning and Development, Frank Mkandawire said in an interview Thursday that the Council is prepared to help the district’s health office to prevent the disease that has wreaked havoc in neighbouring districts and countries Zambia and Tanzania.

“We will stop the selling of goods that can easily spread the disease in all the market places and close down filthy drinking joints,” he charged.

Rumphi District has not registered any cholera case so far but it has been listed among those at risk with its proximity to Karonga and Zambia where cases have been reported.

The first cholera case was reported in Karonga in December, 2017 but later spread to Nkhata Bay, Lilongwe and Salima.

As of Thursday, 227 cases had been reported in the country with four deaths that occurred in Karonga alone.

Rumphi District Environmental Health Officer, Mernad Theu pointed out that his office has engaged community representatives to conduct health education to people living along the lake shore.

“We have established makeshift clinics in potential hotspots with everything ready in case we have a cholera case. We have visited risky areas such as fishing camps where we have distributed chlorine and advised them to suspend fishing activities because they put their lives at risk in case of an outbreak,” he disclosed.

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