ZAMBIA RED CROSS SOCIETY TO BUILD SANITATION FACILITIES AT LUONGO AND CHILOBWE HEALTH POSTS TO COMBAT WATER AND SANITATION CHALLENGES

In response to the cholera outbreak, Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has adopted Luongo and Chilobwe health posts in Kitwe district, Copperbelt Province, to build a waterborne ablution block and install a mechanized water system.

During a field monitoring visit, ZRCS team, led by Director of Programs Jack Bbabi and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Programs and Operations Delegate Gloria Kunyenga, discovered that Luongo Health Post currently relies on shared pit latrines. These facilities pose serious health risks for patients and staff, especially in a community of over 1,800 households.

Following recommendations from Kitwe District Health Office, ZRCS approved the construction of a modern ablution block, which will host waterborne toilets and handwashing stations, to significantly enhance hygiene standards.

The delegation also inspected other ongoing ZRCS projects on the Copperbelt Province. As part of the visit, they met with Kitwe District Health Office’s Principal Clinical Care Officer, Dr. Odimba Marie Josee, to discuss ZRCS’s efforts to prevent further cholera outbreaks in high-risk areas, following an outbreak this year.

At Chilobwe Health Post, ZRCS will address the ongoing water crisis by installing a mechanized solar-powered water pump.

Local resident Davies Chama expressed his gratitude, saying, “Water has been a problem for the health facility and the entire community since 2019. We are grateful that Zambia Red Cross has stepped in to provide a new borehole. This is a huge relief for us.”

Kitwe District Infrastructure Officer Ezra Thole explained that the current windmill-powered system at Chilobwe health post is outdated, and the borehole pipes are corroded.

The work is being carried out under ZRCS’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs, supported by IFRC and other partners, to prevent waterborne diseases such as cholera.