13 176 suspected cholera cases recorded since February
Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
WITH more than 13 000 suspected cholera cases having been recorded in the country since the disease outbreak in February this year, health experts have noted the need for the public to continue observing health guidelines.
December is a season of travelling and merry-making and as people enjoy festivities, health experts are appealing to the public to be mindful of the cholera epidemic which has now spread to 55 districts across the country.
“During this festive season, we want to encourage the people of Zimbabwe to remain vigilant and cautious because the country is still battling a cholera outbreak and we also want to remind the people that COVID-19 is also still with us so, it is very important that as we celebrate and enjoy the Christmas holidays let us exercise a high level of hygiene especially given that during this rainy season, we also have a lot of fruits, we have got a lot of mangoes and mazhanje so people have to make sure that they wash their hands thoroughly with running water and soap, especially after using public toilets,” said a public health expert, Mr Itai Rusike.
He added, “It is also equally important that before eating the mangoes and mazhanjes people should also make sure that they wash them. We also want to encourage people to make sure that they thoroughly cook their food and eat the food while it is hot. We are also aware that there will be a lot of gatherings so people should continue observing the public health guidelines.”
Another health expert, Dr Hamadziripi Dube said, “The government has done a lot to stop the spread of the disease so now we should all play our part to stop the spread of the disease it is our responsibility. Let’s religiously observe the guidelines so that we protect ourselves and our loved ones.”
Since the cholera outbreak in February, 13 176 suspected cases have been recorded, with the bulk of them coming from Harare, Buhera, Chitungwiza and Mutare.
221 people have succumbed to cholera with the case fatality rate now at 2.2% which according to the World Health Organisation is high as the acceptable case fatality rate should typically remain below one percent.
