The death toll since the outbreak began last August reached 3 759 out
of a total of 80 250 cases on February 19, according to the latest
update by the WHO and Zimbabwe’s Health Ministry.
That compared with 78 882 cases and 3 712 deaths recorded on Tuesday.
WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said there were still problems with the
health system in Zimbabwe, where the country’s ravaged economy and
spiralling inflation has especially hit the wages of health workers.
The WHO is continuing talks with partners to find ways of providing
financial encouragement for local health staff, she told journalists.
Earlier this week, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
called on Zimbabwe’s authorities to lift restrictions on humanitarian
workers and criticised the state of the health system.
Widespread cholera outbreak, under-resourced and under-staffed health
system, and inadequate access to safe drinking water and hygiene are
threatening the wellbeing of thousands of Zimbabweans.
So bad is the situation that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has
established a cholera control and command centre, in conjunction with
the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and other health partners, to
respond in a coordinated manner to Zimbabwe's health challenges. WHO
said it was seeking donor support its cholera response plan.
Approximately half of cholera cases have been recorded in Budiriro,
Glen Norah and Glen View, heavily populated suburbs in the western
outskirts of the capital, Harare. Other major concentrations of
reported cases include Beitbridge, on the South African border, and
Mudzi, on the border with Mozambique.
The outbreak could surpass 100 000 cases, according to an estimate by
the Zimbabwe Health Cluster, which is a group coordinated by WHO and
comprising health providers, non-governmental organizations and the
MoHCW.
The estimate is based on six million people, or half of Zimbabwe's 12
million population, potentially being at risk of contracting cholera,
with an estimated 1% of those at risk of actually suffering from
cholera.
With the current rainy season there are risks for further spread of cholera if strong measures are not taken.
To make matters worse, panic has set in. Many Zimbabweans are fleeing
their country, bringing cholera to their neighbors in Botswana, Zambia
and Mozambique.
There are also serious regional implications, with cholera cases crossing into South Africa and Botswana.
In December, South African health authorities said the country had
recorded 460 cholera cases and nine related deaths, mostly in border
areas near Zimbabwe. Botswana said it recorded 234 and eight related
deaths.
What has been done? The Zimbabwe health ministry's answer to the
cholera outbreak was to shut off the public water supply in Harare,
since it did not have the foreign currency to buy chemicals to ensure
that the water supply was clean. Aid groups such as World Vision and
Oxfam, and UN agencies such as UNICEF have taken up some of the slack
by distributing food and water purification tablets, but these are
stop-gap measures at best. This is a very sad state of affairs,
particularly in light of the lack of food and sometimes shelter for the
people of this impoverished nation.
Most persons infected with the bacteria that cause cholera suffer mild
diarrhea or no symptoms. Less than 10% of persons infected with the El
Tor biotype of Vibrio cholerae O1 have illness requiring treatment at a
health center if they are adequately hydrated. However, if full blown
cholera strikes in geographies where medical personnel are not
acquainted with modern treatment methods, many people might die.
Cholera causes profound diarrhea and fluid loss. It has been
characterized as a violent gastroenteric illness. Cholera patients
should be evaluated and treated quickly. With proper treatment, mostly
consisting of rehydration, even severely ill persons can be saved.
Prompt restoration of lost fluid and salts is the primary goal of
treatment. Delay to therapy can be fatal.
The symptoms of moderate to severe cholera are the hallmark profuse,
watery diarrhea (sometimes referred to as rice water stool) leading
to dehydration, nausea and vomiting, muscle (particularly the legs)
cramps, restlessness, irritability, signs of severe dehydration (such
as dry mouth and tongue, thirst, tenting of loose skin, and altered
mental status up to unconsciousness.
The major cause of the cholera outbreak is the inadequate supply of
clean drinking water and poor levels of hygiene. Shortages of
medicines, equipment and staff at health facilities throughout the
country are compounding the health challenges.
WHO is advocating for improved access to oral rehydration salts for
treating moderate dehydration, which is a symptom of cholera. This
could help quickly reduce sickness and deaths.