Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana is committed to implementing preventative and mitigating measures to safeguard its population from cholera. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Lemogang Kwape, stressed this in an interview following his attendance at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary virtual summit of Heads of States and Government on behalf of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi on Friday.
Dr Kwape highlighted that the extraordinary summit, convened by SADC chairperson, Angolan President Mr João Lourenço, addressed the outbreak and continued threat of cholera in the region. He reiterated Botswana’s determination to ensure the country remains safe from the outbreak. He mentioned that experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have warned of the increasing challenge of cholera in the region.
“SADC convened meetings of regional health ministry experts and heads of state and government to address the threat, Dr Kwape said. He emphasised that the challenge was particularly prominent in countries such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and that Botswana was determined to remain vigilant. The summit agreed on steps to effectively address the spread of cholera, an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of bacterially contaminated food or water.
Dr Kwape stressed that any public health disease outbreak in neighbouring states required the country to remain vigilant, and they agreed to strengthen measures to curb the spread of the disease in the region. Additionally, they planned to ensure better access to medicine and to appoint one of the regional leaders as a SADC champion for the prevention of cholera. Furthermore, Dr Kwape highlighted that a good supply of clean water and sanitation to households was crucial in preventing a cholera outbreak, mentioning that only one-third of the people living on the continent had access to clean drinking water.
He acknowledged that Botswana was still working on ensuring the entire population has good, reliable water access through water infrastructure projects and sanitation works, among other provisions. Commencing the summit, SADC executive secretary, Mr Elias Magosi, noted the outbreak of cholera during the rainy season leading to fatalities and household disruption. He urged SADC leaders to accelerate the implementation of interventions and recommendations made in previous health ministers’ meetings. He stressed the importance of addressing the main drivers of cholera outbreaks, emphasising the need for a clean water supply, improved sanitation, and enhanced hygiene practices.
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