• It is highly likely that the outbreak of Influenza H3N2 has spread country-wide.
• Ministry of Health must give the same level of attention it gave to COVID-19.
• The country’s health sector will be negatively impacted and push Hospitals to the limit.

Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ) has urged Ministry of Health to immediately facilitate a sensitization campaign on influenza vaccines and carry out massive investigations and testing.
Organization Director General Dr. Quince Mwabu told Money FM News that it is highly likely that the outbreak of Influenza H3N2 has spread country-wide, hence Ministry of Health must give the same level of attention it gave to COVID-19 and other diseases that affect the communities.
Dr. Mwabu stated that if serious immediate interventions are not implemented to curb various diseases and prevent further outbreaks, the country’s health sector will be negatively impacted and push Hospitals to the limit.
“Following the announcement of the Influenza H3N2 that has broken out at the University of Zambia Great East Campus, MQHZ anticipates an occurrence of a twindermic outbreak, a situation where people are infected by both Covid-19 and Influenza. Looking at the mode of transmission and the current weather pattern we are facing, we should expect this and make effective interventions before we get overwhelmed as a country,” Dr. Mwabu said.
Dr. Mwabu also advised citizens who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 to quickly do so, while those who got their first shots should get the booster shots in order to be fully immunized.
“While we appreciate the government on the availability of the COVID-19 vaccines, there’s need to equally facilitate the campaign on the influenza vaccines immediately and engage public health to do massive investigations and testing as it is highly likely that this outbreak has spread country-wide,” he added.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Sylvia Masebo discloses that out of 40 samples tested at the National Virology Laboratory, based at the University Teaching Hospital, all except one were infected with Influenza H3N2, representing a positivity rate of 97.5% among those sampled and none of the patients were positive for COVID-19.
Influenza is a common cold flu with signs and symptoms similar to those presented in COVID-19 such as fever, chills, headache, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, congestion of chest and runny nose.