Talent Gore
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care yesterday declared that 94 people have been hospitalised and there have been 963 confirmed cholera cases and 4 974 suspected cases.
A total of 4 699 recoveries have been reported, with a national recovery rate of 97 percent.
The outbreak has spread beyond the traditional cholera hotspot districts to include Buhera, Chegutu, Chikomba, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Chitungwiza, Chiredzi, Gokwe North, Marondera, Mazowe, Shamva, Mutare, Murehwa, Mwenezi, Seke and Hwedza.
The ministry has said that it will drill eight boreholes in affected areas and ask religious leaders to encourage their congregations to seek medical care.
Public health experts have called for the monitoring of people from cholera hotspots to contain the virus.
Health policy expert, Tinashe Mundawarara, emphasised the importance of solid public education campaigns to help prevent the spread of the waterborne disease.
“If you look at it, the outbreaks in the rural areas are also very worrying because these are areas that are hard pressed in terms of public health resources and also dealing with treatment and prevention burdens of this challenge.
“What I think needs to happen given that the Government has the requisite policy and resources architecture is to arrest the advance of cholera into the community.
“What needs to happen is a solid public education campaign in the form of public-private partnerships that would ensure that the information goes out into the communities and people are well educated in terms of the preventive measure and what they need to do when infections happen,” said Mundawarara.