Lusaka City Council (LCC) Heightens Meat Inspection to Combat Anthrax Outbreak
In response to the growing threat of Anthrax disease in various districts, the Lusaka City Council’s Public Health Department has launched an intensive meat inspection campaign.
According to Bupe Kabuswe, LCC Public Relations Officer, this initiative targets abattoirs, bulk meat storage facilities, and local butcheries to ensure only safe and sanitary meat is available to the public.
The primary objective of this intensified effort is to prevent the spread of Anthrax, a disease that has already affected multiple districts across Zambia.
Ms Kabuswe said Lusaka City, being the highest consumer of meat from other districts, has taken proactive measures to safeguard public health and protect its citizens from this potentially deadly infection.
She said the LCC Public Health Department is currently engaged in rigorous meat inspection activities across Lusaka. These inspections are centered on Anthrax prevention and a commitment to improving public health conditions.
To ensure the safety of consumers, She said the department has already seized eight quarters of beef carcasses due to a lack of proper documentation regarding their sources and destinations.
Local authorities are sending a clear message to beef traders, emphasizing the importance of having their products inspected and certified fit for human consumption by health inspectors, she noted.
Ms Kabuswe emphasized that the LCC will not hesitate to confiscate and dispose of any meat lacking traceable documentation of origin, ensuring that only safe and sanitary products are offered to the public.
In addition to these measures, She has encouraged the general public to purchase meat products exclusively from licensed premises that operate under rigorous sanitary conditions.
She has strongly discouraged buying from mobile butcheries and vendors selling ready-to-eat meat products that are unlicensed, uninspected, and uncertified for human consumption by health inspectors.
The city’s commitment to ensuring safe and healthy meat consumption is exemplified through this comprehensive inspection program. The Lusaka City Council is determined to mitigate the risk of Anthrax spreading further within the city and to set a standard for public health and safety.
