Sharon Chigeza
MUTARE – Health officials in Manicaland Province are scrambling to contain a resurgence of cholera cases in Nyanga district soon after the district out of two others had been declared cholera free in the past two weeks.
The fresh outbreak has resulted in five reported cases and has been linked to contaminated water sources due to rampant illegal gold mining activities in the area and has caused public health concerns and calls for improved sanitation measures.
Nyanga District Medical Officer, Dr John Muungani confirmed the cases in which three of the five patients admitted at Avilla Mission Hospital tested positive for the diarrhoeal disease.
“Of the five reported cases, three patients tested positive on the rapid diagnostic test. This means these cases remain suspected cases as the specimens have been sent to Mutare for further tests,” he said.
Dr Muungani added that an emergency response team had been set up in the district to raise awareness in the area known for rampant illegal gold mining activities.
“We have set up an emergency response as a district. We have also deployed more Emergency Health Technicians in the area to raise awareness in the illegal mining area as well as for surveillance and monitoring,” said Dr Muungani.
He added that the Ministry of Health and Child Care had engaged Nyanga Rural District Council and Government to ensure the provision of safe water in the area.
Nyanga was one of the 10 districts in the country declared cholera free recently.
Mutare district however, remains Manicaland’s hotspot area due to illegal mining activities in Odzi and Chiadzwa.
These activities have been associated with high volumes of people flooding a designated area without proper sanitation as well as the contamination of water sources.
The country has been grappling with the current outbreak since February last year recording over 3000 confirmed cases and 679 cumulative deaths.
In response to the outbreak, Government in collaboration with its development partners launched a series of interventions aimed at containing the spread of the disease.
