|
Back to Index
Cholera
outbreak: Information Bulletin no. 1/2006
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC)
January
06, 2006
http://www.ifrc.org/docs/appeals/rpts06/zw060106.pdf
The Situation
With the onset of the rain season in Zimbabwe, there has been an
outbreak of cholera in Gundo Village in Sadza communal area in Chikomba
district of Mashonaland East province. Chikomba district is about
150km south-east of Harare while Buhera, where people died of cholera,
is more than 200km further south-east of the capital. The first
incident was reported on 10 December 2005 in Gundo Village of Chikomba.
The cholera outbreak in southeastern Zimbabwe, that began just days
before Christmas, has so far claimed at least seven lives in yet
another example of mounting humanitarian problems in the southern
African country.
171 cases have
been identified so far. It is suspected that the cases are coming
from many areas, including Murambinda. Six people who were admitted
for confirmed cholera cases have since been discharged to recover
at home.
Anthrax has
also been reported in the Masasa area in the same district (Chikomba)
and has killed a number of cattle and one person. 25 cases of human
beings affected have been reported while 39 animal cases have been
reported.
The Ministry
of Health also confirmed cases of cholera in Chikomba which have
been caused by dirty floodwaters from the rains that fell across
much of Zimbabwe in recent weeks. The rains have contaminated unprotected
wells and other sources of drinking water in rural areas such as
the two districts of Chikomba and Buhera.
Cholera, a gastrointestinal
disease that is contracted by human beings mainly through drinking
contaminated water, was almost eradicated in Zimbabwe. But the disease
is on the resurgence, alongside malnutrition-related illnesses such
as kwashiorkor. This is attributed to Zimbabwe's crumbling health
system and social infrastructure following six years of severe economic
recession. Collapsing drinking water and sewer reticulation systems
have raised the risk of cholera and typhoid outbreaks in Harare
and other urban centres, while long-running food shortages have
seen a rise in malnutrition in Zimbabwe.
Buhera area
is dominated by the Apostolic Faith sect (religious group) whose
followers do not believe in seeking medical treatment. A combination
of shortages of drugs and the fact that some of the people in Buhera,
who were infected with the disease, simply chose not to go for treatment
might have contributed to the high number of deaths. With the death
toll at seven within one village, it is feared that without an effective
and rapid response the outbreak will become an epidemic. The government
of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Health, has already responded
to some of the challenges. The strategy of the Ministry of Health
is to deal with cholera and anthrax simultaneously and to establish
camps as well as to carry out intensive social mobilization in the
affected areas. The Minister of Health and Child Welfare visited
the treatment camps and addressed the community leadership and members
on the control of the disease.
The Zimbabwe
Red Cross Society disaster management and water and sanitation
(WatSan) officers were on the ground conducting a rapid assessment
to identify the needs. The local Red Cross branch will continue
monitoring the situation in conjunction with the relevant government
ministry.
The national
society recommends the need for health and hygiene education intervention
in the affected areas as a long-term prevention measure. In a bid
to curb the spread of the disease, the government health officials
are conducting visits to the affected villages and also to adjacent
wards.
The Zimbabwe
Red Cross Society plans to marshal resources for volunteer mobilization
to conduct health and hygiene education in the affected areas. Some
of the health personnel are Red Cross provincial board members and
are mobilizing other volunteers at community level.
The Federation
regional delegation has established a Disaster Management Task Force
to address the current situation. The task force convened the first
meeting on the 4 January 2006 and agreed on the following:
- The second
Information Bulletin will be issued as soon as more information
from the assessment is received. A DREF request will be based
on the needs identified after the assessment;
- To collaborate
with the national society in conducting assessment in the affected
areas;
- Ensuring
emergency stocks are available and processing all logistical requirements
for transporting relief items, as needed.
The needs
The following sets of requirements have been identified and are mostly
covered by all the sector agencies:
- Beds, linen
and blankets;
- Social mobilization,
water and sanitation (hygiene) pamphlets;
- Tents;
- Clean and
safe water;
- Cooler boxes;
- Two-way radio
communication;
- Generators;
- Gas lamps
and gas stoves;
- Chloride
of lime (large quantities);
- Protective
clothing (boots and gowns);
- Paraffin-
for lighting and burning carcasses;
- Glucose tablets;
- Blair toilets
and boreholes;
Red Cross and
Red Crescent action
The
Zimbabwe Red Cross Society 1provided water purification tablets- 'aqua
tabs'- for families drawing water from unprotected sources. The health
officials work closely with the affected villages and distribute water
purification tablets according to need. This is an immediate intervention
but in the long-term, the area will require sinking of new boreholes
and rehabilitation of existing ones so as to ensure sustainable provision
of safe water. The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society provincial branch has
pre-positioned four family tents, two bales of blankets, five sanitary
platforms, two plastic sheeting and other medical materials such as
latex gloves and disinfectant, in preparation for the possible spread
of the disease.
Coordination
The Ministry
of Health has established two health camps at Mushipe and Popoteke
clinics in Sadza communal area in order to provide immediate attention
to reported cases. In addition to the two health camps, the government
is conducting community sensitization, mainly on refraining people
from travelling from the affected areas until the disease is under
control.
The World Health
Organization (WHO) donated medical materials, tents and camping
material and has pledged further funding for the response operation.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is providing safe drinking
water for the affected families and other community members.
The National
Aids Council has provided food items for the treatment camps. The
Civil Protection Unit scheduled a multi-sectoral meeting for 3 January
2006 at the Provincial Governor‘s office and Zimbabwe Red Cross
Society was to attend. The multi-sectoral meeting, to assess and
map a way forward, was held on 5 January 2006 and was attended by
the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society, Oxfam America, the Widows Association
and the Ministry of Health. The major out come of the meeting was
to rally resources towards community mobilization initiatives. The
need for transport to from the treatment camps to the affected areas
was also highlighted.
Expected
Result
The expected impact of the action is the prevention and control
of cholera and anthrax to the extent that there are no epidemics.
Visit the IFRC
fact sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
