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Experts Differ on Male Oriented Cholera Prevention Campaign

As the cholera outbreak still rages on in the country, experts have differed on the need for the country to devise a male oriented cholera prevention awareness campaign.

This comes amid revelation that men continue to be on higher risk of contracting the pandemic unlike their women counterpart.

Speaking to Zodiak, Wednesday, health rights activist Mphatso Ngulube Chikhwaza said much as it is undisputable that men are on a higher risk of the diseases due to their other lifestyles, she sees no reason for the country to have a male oriented cholera prevention awareness campaign.

“Cholera prevention messages remain the same. The channels through which these messages are being distributed are also the same. To me the main issue is that unlike women, men tend to neglect in adhering to these messages,” said Chikhwaza.

However, health rights activist, George Jobe believes targeting men with Cholera prevention messages could go a long way in fostering their behavioral change on the prevention of the pandemic as well for them to begin to seek early medical attention when they become infected.

Meanwhile, ministry of health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe says the ministry does not have immediate plans to roll out a male oriented cholera prevention awareness campaign as doing so would contradict with the Universal Health Coverage guidelines which mandates the ministry not to discriminate on health care provision.

According to ministry of health statistics between 19-25 December, 2022 about 8,600 males were diagnosed with cholera while 6,760 were females.

As of Tuesday, 24th, January,2002, about 1 002 cholera deaths were recorded, surpassing 968 deaths that were recorded in 2002, making the current outbreak the worst in 10 years.

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