COMMUNICABLE diseases are the most common cause of illness, disability and death in Zambia, says Dr Olusegun Babaniyi.
Speaking at a hand over ceremony for one Nissan vehicle for measles surveillance to Southern provincial medical officer Dr Lutangu Alisheke on August 18, 2011, Dr Babaniyi who is the World Health Organization (WHO) country representative said the outbreak of measles in many parts of Zambia recently calls for further strengthening of the surveillance system.
“Communicable diseases are the most common cause of illness, disability and death in Zambia. However, there are well known interventions that are available for controlling them as long as accurate data outbreaks and necessary resources and logistics are made available in a timely manner,” Dr
Babaniyi said.
He said integrated disease surveillance as one of the strategies for the eradication and control vaccine preventable diseases such as measles.
“The WHO supports the ministry to conduct Integrated Disease Surveillance, which is one of the strategies for the eradication, elimination and control of vaccine preventable diseases such as polio,
measles and neonatal tetanus and other diseases of public health importance such as cholera and typhoid,” Dr Babaniyi said.
He said of with a well established disease surveillance system, the Zambia stands ready to manage and control any emerging diseases such as the pandemic Influenzas 2009, famously referred to as A/H1NI.
Dr Babaniyi said national surveillance and response systems are expected to provide on-going surveillance of priority diseases and also function effectively to provide information for triggering
alertness and appropriate responses to outbreaks so as to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with epidemics.
“Allow me to mention that Zambia has not recorded a polio case since 2002 and was awarded a polio-free status by the African Regional Certification Commission (ARCC) in 2005. It is important that this
status is sustained until the certification of polio eradication is achieved,” he said.
And Dr Alisheke said praised the WHO for the numerous technical assistance rendered to Zambia’s health sector in public health and human resource training.