malvernmugadzikwa
Sunday Mail Reporter
THE Harare City Council has declared an end to the cholera outbreak in the capital after no new cases were reported in the last 25 days.
The outbreak, which began in February, claimed 19 lives and infected 3 880 people countrywide.
Council believes the outbreak was brought under control as a result of improved water supplies, sanitation and hygiene practices, among other factors.
The authorities have also rolled out a mass vaccination programme.
Harare City Council director of health services Dr Prosper Chonzi said: “Since last month, we have not recorded any admission at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals or Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital from the cholera hotspot areas.
“We are glad to announce that the outbreak is now over in the city; the national recovery rate also currently stands at 98 percent. We have lost 19 people to cholera.”
On Thursday, only seven new suspected cases of cholera were reported in Mutare rural (five) and one each in Bikita and Beitbridge.
Meanwhile, Harare has recorded close to 100 cases of mumps following a recent outbreak of the disease in the city.
Authorities say most cases were recorded in the city’s northern suburbs such as Borrowdale, Mount Pleasant, Alexandra Park and Avonlea.
The outbreak has been attributed to vaccine hesitancy, as some parents and guardians were reluctant to present children for vaccination during mass inoculation programmes by health authorities.
Mumps — a viral infection that affects the parotid glands, salivary glands below and in front of the ears — spreads through infected saliva. The disease can be easily prevented by a vaccine.
Added Dr Chonzi: “People in those areas no longer have confidence in vaccination programmes that are carried out at public health institutions, hence their children who have been infected were not vaccinated.
“We do not accept such behaviour as it puts children at risk.”
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMRV) protects against four diseases — measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox).
The vaccine is readily available free of charge in public clinics.
Bongani Ndlovu