by Nurat Uthman
Zimbabwe has recorded new cases of cholera several months after declaring the end of an outbreak that killed more than 700 people over an 18-month period.
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe confirmed a new outbreak of cholera has been recorded in the district of Kariba — on the border with Zambia — where 21 cases have been confirmed and one person died.
Dr. Godfrey Muza, the Kariba district medical officer, said the government is working to contain the situation:
“We have set up cholera equipment camp and also some oral rehydration points within the affected villages,” said Muza. “We are getting assistance from our local and regional partners like MSF [Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders] and UNICEF. And our teams are on the ground doing risk communication and community engagement activities on health promotion, hygiene promotion and assisting the community in terms of improving sanction.”
In August, the Zimbabwe government declared that the 18-month long cholera outbreak was over. The outbreak affected up to 35,000 people and claimed more than 700 lives.
