adminSusan Nyabunze Herald Reporter
Hatcliffe Extension, a poor settlement in the northern part of Harare is the worst affected area with 41 cases of diarrhoea out of 523 cases recorded in the capital, a city health official has said. City health director Dr Prosper Chonzi told the Herald that use of water from unprotected sources had led to the outbreak in this area.
“The main area that is affected is Hatcliffe extension,” he said.
“We carried an analysis of the area and we found out that there were four boreholes and a number of shallow wells in the area. Use of water from unprotected sources has caused more people to be affected by diarrheoa.”
Of the 41 cases reported in Hatcliffe, 37 were children below the age of five.
The total number of diarrheoa cases reported in Harare rose by 3,5 percent from 506 the previous week to 523 this past week.
Dr Chonzi said cases of suspected typhoid had increased to 63 up from 49 cases in the previous week.
He said, only six cases had been confirmed so far this year.
Water shortages in Harare have led to outbreaks of diarrhoea with health centres treating many residents suffering from the disease.
The city health department has since deployed health extension workers to raise awareness of the disease and offer possible solutions to curb the spread.
“Through campaigns in the area, we are educating people on the need to boil water before drinking, exercising good personal hygiene and regular washing of hands,” Dr Chonzi said.
“Aqua tablets are being distributed in the area for free and fruit vending has since been discouraged, especially fruits such as mangoes, unless extreme hygiene is practiced.”
Several cases of diarrhoea, especially among children, have been recorded in the city’s high density suburbs such as Kambuzuma, Mufakose, Kuwadzana, Mabvuku, Epworth and Budiriro among others.
In 2008, thousands of people died due to a cholera outbreak blamed on poor hygiene and serious water shortages in various parts of the country.
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