Online Reporter
Peter Matika [email protected]
BULAWAYO health authorities have placed the city on alert amid growing regional public health threats, with surveillance intensified for 13 potentially deadly diseases, including Ebola, Mpox, cholera and typhoid.
The alert follows increased disease activity across Southern Africa, prompting the city to strengthen emergency preparedness and response systems to rapidly detect, contain and manage any outbreaks.
According to the latest health, housing and education committee report presented before the full council last week, Bulawayo has activated enhanced emergency response mechanisms as communicable disease threats continue to evolve within the region.
The diseases under close surveillance include Ebola, Marburg virus disease, Mpox (Clades 1 and 2), which have been reported in neighbouring Zambia, Malawi and South Africa, wild poliovirus type 1, cholera, typhoid, measles, food poisoning, mumps, chickenpox, Covid-19, gastrointestinal diseases and Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease.
“The province has implemented enhanced emergency response mechanisms across all pillars to detect, contain, monitor, predict and manage disease outbreaks as they continue to evolve,” reads part of the report.
The report also provides a snapshot of the city’s disease burden during May, when Bulawayo recorded 21 confirmed malaria cases and three related deaths. There were also 195 diarrhoea cases that resulted in two deaths, while 70 influenza cases, 53 dog bite incidents and seven snakebite cases were reported. Two maternal deaths were also recorded during the month.
However, there were no suspected measles cases or rabies-related deaths.
Health authorities also noted a continued decline in Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease cases. Thirteen suspected cases were recorded in May, down from 39 in April, continuing a downward trend observed since January. No deaths linked to the disease have been reported this year.
As part of routine disease surveillance and environmental health monitoring, the Bulawayo City Council collected 131 water samples from across the city for bacteriological analysis. Although most samples met acceptable safety standards, some tested positive for faecal and non-faecal coliform contamination.
The affected areas include Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni, Magwegwe, Luveve, Mtshingwe and Waterford, where health officials have initiated follow-up investigations to determine the source of contamination and implement corrective measures.
The city also conducted sanitary inspections at 17 boreholes, rolled out hygiene education programmes in schools that reached more than 3 400 pupils, and continued environmental surveillance through sewage sampling to monitor possible circulation of poliovirus.
The surveillance comes as Zimbabwe and other Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states strengthen disease monitoring and preparedness in response to recurring outbreaks of cholera, Mpox and other communicable diseases across the region.
According to health authorities, increased cross-border movement has amplified the risk of importing infectious diseases, making early detection, rapid response and sustained public awareness essential to preventing outbreaks.
