Kennedy Malama, health director of Zambia's Eastern Province, says the province is on alert to combat any possible cholera outbreak following the cholera outbreak in neighboring Malawi, Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) reported on Thursday.

Malama said there has been a cholera awareness campaign, using the local radio stations to ensure people have improved clean water and sanitary condition.

He told ZANIS in an interview that there is need to curb cholera since the province was neighboring with Malawi, where cholera cases have been reported.

"Cholera has been in Malawi for three months now and as a department we are concerned because Chipata is a transit point and we have tasked all our district health officers in the region to address the issues of hygiene, prevention like boiling water and hand washing," he was quoted.

The director stated that despite Chipata district bordering with Malawi so far no cholera case has been recorded in the province since the outbreak in that country.

He noted that all necessary logistics have been put in place by the ministry throughout the province to control any possible outbreak of cholera.

Malama, however, said there is need for the public to refrain from throwing garbage anyhow if they are to curb cholera in the province.

According to media reports, about 300 cholera cases have been out in the neighboring Malawi.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2009)