Chipinge new cholera epicentre

It showed that the eastern Manicaland province accounted for about 95 percent of all incidents reported since the beginning of the year. More than 573 cholera cases had been reported in Chipinge by the end of May, nearly 63 percent of the 936 incidents recorded countrywide since January.
The Zimbabwean reported in March that a cholera time-bomb was ticking at ARDA Estate in Chipinge where the state-owned company was allegedly supplying untreated water from the river straight to taps. More than 3 000 households in Chipinge were at risk of contracting cholera, particularly in Ward 26 at ARDA Estates where farm workers
are being provided with raw water from a nearby river.
Cholera has become a perennial disease in Zimbabwe where the water and sanitation infrastructure has collapsed due to lack of maintenance. It claimed more than 4 200 lives in an outbreak between September 2008 and July 2009 that also infected nearly 100 000 people. According to the WHO report, the cholera death toll has risen to more than 40 since the beginning of the year.
A total of 936 cumulative cholera cases had been reported by the third week of May, a 24 percent rise in the number of cases since the end of April when 755 cases were recorded in 10 of Zimbabwes 62 districts. The death toll stood at 25 at the end of April.
At least 886 or 95 percent of the current cases were reported from the eastern Manicaland province which is also home to the controversial Marange fields where artisan miners are digging for alluvial diamonds.