News / National
Govt declares Chiredzi cholera outbreak national priority
04 Jun 2012 at 05:49hrs | Views
Government has declared the cholera outbreak reported in Chiredzi a national priority, amid fears of a repeat of the 2008 epidemic which killed over 4 000 people ountrywide, an official has said. Director Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Dr Portia Manangazira, last Thursday said a National Response Team was currently on the ground in Chiredzi.
"The permanent secretary urgently sent the National Rapid Response Team and the Provincial Health Executive of Masvingo to support the district health team on the ground since the outbreak has been declared a national priority."
"The outbreak has gone beyond the World Health Organisation benchmark of control due to the quality of water available to households, few functional toilets and limited numbers of health workers to do both outbreak response and community health education," she said.
The outbreak was reported in Manyise, Chingweme, Chifamba, Ranganai and Hasani villages.
Dr Manangazira said Chiredzi district responded urgently and tested all cases, confirming eight positives as Vibrio Cholerae Inaba and seven negative, conducting sensitivity tests to see which antibiotics are resisted by the vibrio cholerae bacteria.
"The permanent secretary urgently sent the National Rapid Response Team and the Provincial Health Executive of Masvingo to support the district health team on the ground since the outbreak has been declared a national priority."
"The outbreak has gone beyond the World Health Organisation benchmark of control due to the quality of water available to households, few functional toilets and limited numbers of health workers to do both outbreak response and community health education," she said.
The outbreak was reported in Manyise, Chingweme, Chifamba, Ranganai and Hasani villages.
Dr Manangazira said Chiredzi district responded urgently and tested all cases, confirming eight positives as Vibrio Cholerae Inaba and seven negative, conducting sensitivity tests to see which antibiotics are resisted by the vibrio cholerae bacteria.
Source - TH
