The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
CHOLERA cases are now on a downward trend in the country with continued efforts being made to ensure that sanitation is prioritised and that clean cities become a normal sight. This came out during the first Cabinet meeting of the year. “The nation is informed that cholera cases are on the decrease in Zimbabwe. The Ministry of Health and Child Care continues to institute control measures that include: distribution of water treatment chemicals at the point of use; training of water point committees; demonstrations on handwashing; setting up of Oral Rehydration Point; engagement with religious leadership; and awareness and health education,” read the first Post Cabinet Briefing.
The Ministry of Health also received 60 000 litres of Intra-Venous fluids, tents and other cholera supplies from the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund two weeks ago. This thereby strengthed measures to control the disease.
Harare, which has one of its suburbs Kuwadzana as one of the hardest hit areas will continue to receive intensified awareness and medicines to fight the disease. “As efforts to fight cholera continue, the priority actions for the next 12 weeks, especially for Harare and Chitungwiza, include Oral Cholera Vaccine Deployment to the targeted hot spots, procurement of Cholera Response Medicines, supplies and commodities; mobilisation of additional funding to support the cholera response at national and Sub-national levels for optimal and comprehensive response to the outbreak, ” Cabinet was told.
Furthermore, the Ministry said they will support for the implementation of the integrated community strategy to optimise access to safe water and sanitation. Other initiatives will include applying the concept of Clean Cities and environment by prioritising deployment of law enforcement agents to remove all food vendors from undesignated areas in all suburbs and to supervise removal of refuse from areas where this has been dumped and make sure this does not pile up again. Gatherings for religious and funeral purposes in other known hotspots until the situation normalises will be monitored or halted if need be. @NyembeziMu
