Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Typhoid has broken out in Mbala district of Northern Province with 250 cases recorded so far.
Announcing the development during a media briefing, health minister Sylvia Masebo says the first case was recorded in a one year old boy who presented with symptoms of chills, diarrhea, fever prompting health personnel to conduct further investigations.
Ms Masebo says a total of 256 typhoid suspects who presented with diarrhea were screened of which 215 were positive while 38 were culture positive.
She states that screening in the district and across the province has since been intensified, with the rest of the country being placed on high alert.
Ms Masebo has also disclosed that the ministry of health is currently responding to a measles outbreak in Chirundu and increased scabies incidences in Lavushimanda, all of which are under control.
And on the covid-19 update, Ms Masebo says the fourth wave is seemingly towards its tail-end with a less than 5% average positivity nationally, reduced numbers of admission, persons on oxygen therapy and those critically ill and a drastic reduction in the number of covid-19 related deaths.
Ms Masebo has since disclosed that Zambia has in the last 24 hours recorded 110 new cases out of 3,190 tests conducted, 1 death and 2 new admissions.
Meanwhile the health minister has described the continued hullabaloo on the shortage of medicines in public hospitals as mere politicking by some sections of society.
Ms Masebo says the situation is not as bad as being portrayed as some hospitals have adequate medicines.
She however, states that it will take a while to stabilize the supply chain and have all medicines in hospitals across the country.
Speaking at the same briefing, science and technology minister, Felix Mutati announced that his ministry has devised a technology system that will help track the movement of drugs in an effort to help address the scourge of pilferage of medicines in the health sector.