Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha

AS the country battles to contain the cholera outbreak, the government’s vaccination campaign which was launched this week has been rolled out in one of the hotspots of Bikita.

The community is appreciative of efforts that are being made to reduce cholera as the vaccination programme is being done at various healthcare centres, schools and village meeting points.

“I came here with my family to be vaccinated because I realized that cholera is very dangerous. Here in Bikita we lost several people and up to date, cases continue to be recorded,” said a Bikita resident.

Another said, “We appreciate that the programme is being rolled out in an organised manner. They are coming in our villages, emphasizing the importance of maintaining good hygiene and then the importance of being vaccinated.”

Bikita District Medical Officer Dr Thalia Mungwari said the vaccination programme has started on a good note with community members coming in their numbers.

“Here in Bikita, the vaccination campaign is being rolled out in 11 wards out of 16 where we have recorded cholera cases. As of today, all our teams surpassed their targets meaning the programme is being appreciated by community members. We continue to emphasize the importance of maintaining good hygiene as we try to contain cholera.”

The campaign has been rolled out in all the districts in the province except for Masvingo district.

As of 30 January 2024, 2462 cholera cases had been recorded in Masvingo province while there were 2364 recoveries and 11 confirmed deaths.