LUSAKA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Monday launched an oral cholera vaccination campaign in Lusaka, the country's capital, as part of efforts towards the elimination of the waterborne disease in the country.
The campaign launched targets to vaccinate 1,038,000 eligible people from one year and above in the Zambian capital and follows vaccination campaigns conducted in seven of the 11 cholera-prone districts in the country.
Sylvia Masebo, the Minister of Health said the overall objective of the campaign was to vaccinate about 85 percent of people in the 11 cholera-prone districts in the country.
In remarks delivered during the launch of the campaign in Kanyama, a sprawling shanty compound prone to cholera outbreaks, the Zambian minister said the country has established a multisectoral cholera elimination plan to eliminate the disease by 2025 against the global target of 2030.
The country, she said, has so far received 5.8 million doses of the vaccines required for the campaign and was confident that the target will be met.
According to her, Zambia has had 30 cholera outbreaks since 1977 which have left devastating effects including deaths.
She said the government was committed to ensuring the provision of access to clean water and sanitation in efforts aimed at eliminating the disease.
Coumba Mar Gadio, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator, commended Zambia for its ambitious program of eliminating cholera by 2025 against the global target.
She said the UN stands ready to support the country in its endeavor, adding that eliminating the disease will require concerted efforts of all partners.
According to her, cholera was one of the major health threats in developing countries and commended the leadership shown by Zambia in fighting the disease. ■