Geneva/Harare - Zimbabwe will likely face another cholera
epidemic come the rainy season, Red Cross and United Nations
officials warned Thursday, noting that no real improvements have been
made to the country's dilapidated water and sanitation systems.
They also issued a call to neighbouring countries to take
preparatory steps in order to mitigate the spread of the disease,
should it strike again.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health in Harare announced that the worst
African cholera outbreak in 15 years had ended after 10 difficult
months. The next rains are expected in late October.
'The epidemic has successfully been contained and has
ended,' Zimbabwe's Health Minister Henry Madzorera was quoted by the
state-run Herald newspaper.
Since the end of last year, cholera, an intestinal disease which
is transmitted through dirty water, affected approximately 100,000
people and killed over 4,200.
'Our concern is that the issues that drove the outbreak - the
worst outbreak in 15 years in Africa - have not been addressed in any
way,' said Matthew Cochrane with the International Federation of the
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Speaking with the German Press Agency dpa by telephone, he warned
that the 'ground is ripe for future outbreaks.'
The head of the World Health Organization's cholera task force,
Claire-Lise Chaignat, concurred.
'It is very likely the problem will start again in the rainy
season,' she said from Geneva.
'The water and sanitation situation has not improved and it is not
likely to improve rapidly,' Chaignat added.
Basic infrastructure has suffered from neglect for over a decade
as Zimbabwe sank into deep economic woes, with unchecked
hyperinflation.
An appeal by the Red Cross for 3.5 million dollars to dig clean
water holes and improve basic infrastructure gathered less than
100,000 dollars in donations, the organization said.
Given that cholera was now endemic to Zimbabwe, and noting the
failing infrastructure, Cochrane said there was 'no reason to believe
we won't be back to where we were a few months ago again.'
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Harare
would be able to provide clean water to all its residents by
September.
However, the rural areas are likely to face serious problems.
The WHO's Chaignat appealed to the government in Harare to start
working with the communities on prevention and education.
'The ministry of health has to work with the communities to
diminish risky behaviours,' she said, 'It is about how to make water
safe and delivering hygiene and food safety messages.'
Moreover, basic improvements would have to made to the sanitation
systems. Positioning ahead of time rehydration salts, waters
purification tablets and other tools for rapid response would help
mitigate a crisis once the cholera returned.
'There are small things that can be done that can make a huge
difference,' Chaignat said.
Zimbabwe and its neighboring countries should maintain
surveillance mechanisms, especially along border areas, and be ready
to respond to any outbreak immediately, according to WHO
recommendations.
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