PRESENTED TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BY HON. SYLVIA T. MASEBO, MP MINISTER OF HEALTH,
12TH JULY, 2024
Madam Speaker
I wish to thank you most sincerely for the opportunity to render a Ministerial Statement to update this August House and the general public on the Influenza and COVID-19 situation in the country.
Madam Speaker,
During this time of the year when the weather is cool and dry, it is expected to see an increase in respiratory infections. As a result, our surveillance and disease intelligence wings under the Ministry of Health continues to conduct routine surveillance of diseases of public health significance. Further, we have surveillance of influenza in selected sites under the National Influenza Centre (NIC) operating under the University Teaching Hospital Virology Laboratory. These sites are Chipata, Livingstone, Lusaka, Nakonde, Ndola and Solwezi.
Madam Speaker,
We have thus seen an upsurge in the number of respiratory infections as we have been monitoring the trends of reported respiratory infections and Influenza-like illnesses.
We wish to inform the general public that following the analysis over the last four weeks of 373 samples collected from our Influenza surveillance sites in Chipata, Livingstone, Lusaka, Nakonde, Ndola, and Solwezi, 35 (9%) were positive for Influenza. Specifically, 21 (6%) were positive for H1N1, 12 (3%) were positive for H3N2, and 2 (0.5%) were positive for Influenza B. Of the 35 positive samples, the majority (15) were from persons aged 18-49, while 13 were under 5. None of the samples came from persons aged over 50 years.
Madam Speaker,
As of today, we have 13 patients admitted to UTH (11) and Levy (2) with severe forms of pneumonia caused by Influenza and coronaviruses. All these individuals are receiving oxygen as part of their management. Only 1 is in critical condition. We unfortunately lost one male patient who had severe pneumonia caused by influenza and another bacterial infection.
Madam Speaker,
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. There are four main types of influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. However, the types that commonly infect humans and cause seasonal epidemics are influenza A and B. Influenza A viruses are further classified into subtypes, such as H1N1 and H3N2.
Influenza virus spreads mainly through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, as well as through close contact such as hugs and handshakes. The virus can also survive on surfaces and objects for a short time. Therefore, if a person touches a surface that has the influenza virus on it (such as a door handle, light switch, or tissue) and then touches their mouth, nose, or eyes, they can become infected.
Influenza can cause mild to severe illness. Symptoms usually come on suddenly. People who have influenza often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms:
- fever or feeling feverish/chills;
- cough;
- sore throat;
- runny or stuffy nose;
- muscle or body aches;
- headaches;
- fatigue (tiredness); and
- some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Madam Speaker,
Most people who get influenza will recover in a few days to less than two weeks. Some people will however develop complications such as pneumonia, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death. Other complications are ear infections and inflammation of the heart, brain or muscle tissues.
Influenza can infect anyone, regardless of age. However, the severity of the illness and the risk of complications can vary significantly among different age groups. Hish risk age groups include young children under 5 years old, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and weakened immune systems
Madam Speaker,
Allow me to take this opportunity to also update the House on COVID-19 situation in the country. I am aware that people remain quite anxious whenever there is a spike in respiratory infections, and understandably so especially given our recent experience with the pandemic. We have continued to separately monitor the COVID-19 trends and have seen a slight increase in the weekly positivity of samples being tested for COVID-19, from 1.5% to 2.8%. Specifically, our most recent data indicates that out of 322 samples tested for COVID-19, nine (2.8%) were positive.
When we look at our monthly trends, between May and June we tested 3,070 samples and of these 74 (2.4%) were positive. Of the positive samples, 43 came from Lusaka, 09 from Copperbelt, 07 from Southern, 06 each from Central and Luapula, 02 from Eastern and 01 from Northern. Muchinga and Western provinces did not record any positive cases. Cumulatively, between January and June of this year, we have recorded 4,770 cases. The top five districts from which these cases were reported are: Chingola (478), Lusaka (451), Kabwe (433), Kalulushi (213), and Chililabombwe (196).
Madam Speaker,
Our experience with recent outbreaks such as Cholera and COVID-19 has gone a long way in teaching and reminding us of the importance of good hygiene and respiratory etiquette. These very habits are critical to prevent the spread of Influenza. We are, therefore, all encouraged to continue to implement preventive measures including:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available;
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of used tissues properly;
- Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;
- Avoid Close Contact. Stay away from people who are sick. If you are sick, stay home to prevent spreading the illness to others; and
- If you are infected and need to go out in public, wear a mask.
We do not currently have influenza vaccines in our national immunization schedule. But we do have CO
VID – 19 vaccines and those eligible are encouraged to get immunized to protect themselves against severe disease and bad outcomes.
Madam Speaker,
This Government under the able leadership of His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema the President of
the Republic of Zambia is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our people and to providing timely public health information to prevent the spread of diseases like influenza.
As a result, we have activated the detection of these viruses and other pathogens at the University
Teaching Hospital using a multi-disease diagnostic platform. These platforms will be opened in other provincial centers around the country. These platforms will be able to detect many pathogens not just these viruses.
Further we have put all our health facilities to be on high alert for suspecting and screening for the
se infections. Management plans have been refined and dedicated spaces have been created for managing our people. In addition, we have made sure that we have constant and adequate availability of oxygen. We have also activated the procurement of specific medicines for treatment of Influenza. We have further made sure that we have commodities needed for management of COVID and other respiratory bacterial infections which are currently circulating around.
I now call upon all health workers to monitor closely those infected by these viral infections and make early detection and early appropriate management.
Madam Speaker,
As I conclude, I also call upon members of our community to follow the guidelines on hand hygiene and cough
etiquette, and reporting early to health facilities when unwell. We can work together to reduce the impact of Influenza and related illnesses in our communities.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.