The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE upsurge of cholera cases has seen the province recording 25 percent of the country’s suspected cholera cases and 15 percent of the laboratory confirmed cases reported in Zimbabwe since the outbreak of the disease in mid-February, The Manica Post can reveal.
The province had by Thursday (yesterday) recorded the second highest number of suspected as well as laboratory confirmed cholera cases in the country, with Matabeleland South having the highest number of cases.
While the country had recorded 479 suspected cases of cholera as of Thursday, 121 of them were reported in Manicaland.
However, the province only recorded 17 laboratory confirmed cholera cases out of the 105 that were confirmed nationwide.
This constitutes 15 percent of all confirmed cases in the country.
Due to this continued increase in cholera cases in the country, Cabinet on Wednesday resolved that a multi-sectoral approach to responding to the cholera outbreak should continue, with a focus to address water and sanitation.
Speaking after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said: “Cabinet resolved that the Ministry of Health and Child Care should work closely with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to ensure timely release of funds to facilitate the cholera response.”
Buhera, Chipinge, Chimanimani and Mutare districts remain part of the country’s 17 cholera hotspots that were identified by the Ministry of Health and Child Care last month.
According to a Zimbabwe Cholera Situation Report that was released on April 19, 12 percent of Manicaland’s suspected cases were recorded during the past week alone.
Mutare City reported six suspected cholera cases, Chimanimani district had four cases, while three cases were recorded in Mutasa district.
One suspected case was reported in Nyanga and another one in Mutare Rural district during the past seven days.
Buhera and Chipinge districts remain safe from the outbreak as they are yet to report any suspected or confirmed cholera cases.
The same report also states that of the province’s 121 suspected cases, four are hospitalized.
Nationwide, nine people are hospitalized due to cholera.
Three cholera patients are admitted at a hospital in Mutare while one is admitted at a Nyanga hospital.
The report states that two confirmed cholera deaths and seven suspected cholera deaths have been reported since February.
Reads part of the report: “To date, cases have been reported in eight out of the 10 provinces in the country since the beginning of 2023, with eight cases in the said provinces having no epidemiological link to each other.”
In a recent interview, Manicaland provincial health promotions officer, Mrs Agnes Mugumbate said Buhera, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutare and Mutasa were declared hotspots due to their proximity to neighbouring Mozambique where there is a cholera outbreak.
“Due to the porous border with Mozambique, the outbreak was bound to spread to the province. People travel daily to and from Mozambique using many illegal entry points and Forbes Border Post,” she said.
Mrs Mugumbate said the ministry has activated its rapid response and surveillance teams in the respective areas, and sensitised health facilities as well as local communities on the disease.
“We have sensitised our facilities to be on high alert with ongoing active surveillance. We are also distributing relevant materials like buckets to the hotspot areas and making sure that locals are well sensitised and protected from the disease. The sensitisation of our health workers, community and village health workers is also ongoing.
“The public is being sensitised to keep safe by making sure that they drink and use safe water, wash their hands often with soap and safe water as well as prepare their food well,” she said.
In Zimbabwe, the cholera outbreak started on February 12 at Chao-square Mining Resource Company in Chegutu.
The outbreak has since spread across most parts of the country, with unrelated cases and suspected cases being reported in eight provinces.
Matabeleland North and Midlands are yet to record any case.
Other declared hotspot districts across the country are Chegutu, Chikomba, Chitungwiza, Chiredzi, Harare, Gokwe North, Marondera, Mazowe, Shamva, Murewa, Mwenezi, Seke and Wedza.
The country has positively recorded 461 recoveries.
