Zimbabwe: Cholera Cases Rise Above 70,000

11 February 2009
allAfrica.com
By Faatimah Hendricks

The number of Zimbabweans infected with cholera has risen above 70,000, a new update released by the World Health Organisation has stated.

A staggering 1,950 new cases were reported on Monday, with 67 cholera-related deaths, whereas only 362 were reported the previous day along, with nine deaths.

The humanitarian aid agency, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), reports that 50 to 60 percent of boreholes in rural areas are not functional, forcing residents to use water from streams and lakes.

"People are more and more turning to surface water as their source of water supplies in many districts," says WASH. Many of the boreholes need only minor repairs to get them working again.

The organisation also says there is a possibility that the lack of food is causing cholera infections to increase. "Hunger appears in many areas, and may be contributing to infection."

Rural areas have re-occurring cases of cholera as WASH cannot easily reach citizens in those areas. The group says there is a need to plan for "long-term preventive measures, especially water and sanitation programmes".

Cholera broke out in Zimbabwe in November last year amid political tension between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

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