Zimbabwe: On Course to End Cholera Outbreak
Ways to infect the Cholera: the water, June 2024 Photo: EFE
June 26, 2024 Hour: 9:17 pm
According to Mombeshora, some provinces have not reported any cases of cholera for more than a month, which is a good sign that the country is on course to end the outbreak.
On Tuesday, Minister of Health and Child Care Douglas Mombeshora said that Zimbabwe may soon declare an end to the cholera outbreak that has affected all 10 provinces if the current trend of declining cases continues.
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At least 87 people have been confirmed to have died from the water-borne disease since an outbreak was first reported in February 2023, according to the ministry.
According to Mombeshora, some provinces have not reported any cases of cholera for more than a month, which is a good sign that the country is on course to end the outbreak.
“If we have zero cases for a month, then we declare the outbreak over. So yes, in some provinces we can say we have no problem anymore. We have areas that have gone more than six weeks with no cases,” he said.
The latest cholera situation report published by his ministry Monday showed that nine provinces had not reported any cases of either suspected or confirmed cholera that day, while Harare Province had one suspected case. As of Monday, the country has recorded a cumulative total of 34,547 suspected cholera cases and 4,217 laboratory-confirmed ones.
In November 2023, Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, declared a state of emergency following an upsurge in cholera cases. The declaration was meant to enable the city to seek assistance from local and international partners in fighting the disease, including the supply of potable water.
Mombeshora said the last challenge was in Sanyati District in Mashonaland West Province, but the situation has been brought under control after the government dispatched vaccines to the area. “So we are seeing an improvement, and we are watching,” he added.
The minister also urged citizens to maintain good hygiene standards so that the pandemic does not recur. “It’s important for people to always maintain good hygienic practices and use safe drinking water. They should not only do it when there is an outbreak; this should be their way of life,” he said.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: Aljazeera-Africanews
