HARARE, Zimbabwe, 3 December 2008 - Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in recent years. More than 12,000 cases of cholera have been reported around the country. Thus far, approximately 565 people have died.
"The outbreak is really outpacing our response," said UNICEF Zimbabwe Communication Officer Tsitsi Singizi. "It's becoming endemic. Nine out of 10 provinces have reported a cholera case."
UNICEF is providing emergency cholera kits to affected communities, as well as emergency water supplies, support to cholera treatment centres and petrol for Ministry of Water vehicles.
"It's really fire-fighting," said Ms. Singizi. "Some Zimbabweans have even travelled to neighbouring South Africa for treatment."
Collapse of infrastructure
Zimbabweans are already suffering from raging inflation, food shortages and a steady decline in social services - particularly in the education and health sectors. Now the country is faced with the total collapse of the infrastructure needed to prevent and treat diseases like cholera.
A Zimbabwean mother awaits treatment in Musina. In the past two weeks, nearly 200 Zimbabweans have been treated for cholera in this hospital at the South African border.
"Mainly, it's the lack of capacity for the municipal services and the water authorities to provide safe water and refuse collection," said Ms. Singizi. "At the same time, there's a collapse in the health services, which has made it impossible to treat the high number of infections."
UNICEF Zimbabwe response
UNICEF has announced a 120-day emergency response to intensify relief efforts to the country's children. In the short term, UNICEF will increase health outreach services, provide nutritional supplements, boost school attendance and scale-up access to safe water.
For the moment, UNICEF is trucking in 360,000 litres of water a day into Harare alone. UNICEF and its partners are also providing essential items such as bars of soap, latex gloves and water decontamination tablets. Public education campaigns have also begun to try to prevent the spread of the disease.
Address fundamental causes
"This is a symptom of a collapsed system," said Ms. Singizi. "We're calling on all stakeholders to try to address the fundamental issues that drive an outbreak - in terms of a water system that is functional, in terms of a sewer system that is functional."
"We're in constant dialogue with local government, we're in constant dialogue with the Ministry of Water, so they provide a sustained solution to prevent the recurrent outbreaks that seem to be now characterizing Zimbabwe."
Cholera patients rest on their beds inside the male ward of Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare December 1, 2008. Zimbabwe's health minister has warned that a cholera outbreak which has killed more ...
