BY ANDREW MKONDA, MANA
Salvation Army, a local non-governmental organisation in Karonga has donated chlorine worth K3 million to Karonga District Hospital in response to floods that have affected thousands of people in the district.
In such situations, communities are at risk of contracting waterborne diseases.
Speaking Monday after presenting the donation, Salvation Army Programme Manager, Mathews Tulombolombo said it was pathetic that several people who have been displaced by floods and putting up in camps drink water from unprotected sources.
“As stakeholders of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the district, we are not just supposed to be responding in a reactive manner when cholera hits the district.
“This is the right time to do all what we can for our district to be free from cholera outbreak.
“You know when the district is hit by cholera, it becomes a concern to all of us and we feel that we have failed our duty which is very bad,” he said.
Tulombolombo further said his organisation as one of the WASH players in the district, has duty to compliment government efforts in the fight against communicable diseases such as cholera.
Speaking after receiving the donation, Karonga District Health Environmental Officer, Lewis Tukula, described the donation as timely as people displaced by floods are consuming and using untreated water for household chores.
“We use chlorine in a number of ways such as cleaning toilets and utensils. We also use chlorine in treating people who are infected with cholera,” said Tukula.
Over 2,000 people in Karonga have been displaced by floods following continuous heavy rains which the district has been experiencing for the past two weeks.
There are fears that cholera may occur in the district if the floods continue. Karonga normally experiences floods in the months of March and April annually.
