By Margaret Kamba 

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Douglas Mombeshora says cholera health education is ongoing to help manage outbreak.

Giving a report in Cabinet on the cholera outbreak response, Dr Mombeshora said that "as at 21st October 2023, Zimbabwe’s cumulative suspected cholera cases were 5 338 with 5 090 recoveries. Manicaland Province and Harare Province contributed the highest number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe, having reported 2 524 and 1 654 cumulative cholera cases, respectively by 21st October, 2023," he reported. 

The outbreak was attributed to "poor sanitation and low safe water coverage" especially in the Harare Metropolitan Province.  

"Twelve boreholes were drilled in Buhera through a borehole drilling project under the Ministry of Health and Child Care," Dr Mombeshora said. 

 "Health education on cholera prevention and control measures, including hygiene promotion, is ongoing in provinces. Health educators in affected communities have been trained to also facilitate surveillance and risk communication. Door-to-door cholera campaigns are being made in the affected provinces."

Additional measures taken include that all gatherings in cholera-affected areas be supervised in order to ensure adequate clean water and sanitation provision, that all burial be supervised, regardless of the cause of death in all cholera-affected areas to reduce transmission and that public health measures be enforced in all communities reporting cholera cases.