AS IF Zimbabwe didn’t have enough problems, the country is now facing an unprecedented outbreak of as a result of its deteriorating infrastructure.
As 91av went to press, there had been . The worst affected area is the capital Harare, where the local Ministry of Health has described the outbreak as “the biggest ever”.
Cholera is endemic in some of the rural areas of Zimbabwe and the last major outbreak was in 1992, when there were 3000 cases. Until recently, it was relatively rare in urban areas.
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Now, run-down infrastructure, burst sewage pipes, water cuts and a lack of trained sanitation workers are forcing people to dig makeshift wells and defecate in public, increasing exposure to the water-borne disease. The onset of the rainy season may flush more sewage into wells, exacerbating the problem.
“Run-down infrastructure and burst sewage pipes are forcing people to defecate in public”
Aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières warns that up to 1.4 million people are at risk if the outbreak continues to spread.
