Red Cross, UN: Zimbabwe prone to new cholera epidemic (Roundup)

Jul 30, 2009, 14:56 GMT

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.