Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Society has rolled out a Cholera Response Emergency Fund project worth about US$500 million in order to help fight the pandemic, which has claimed over 20 lives in the country.
The project, which is targeting five districts, will run up to October 31 and is targeting Chimanimani, Mutare urban, Mutare rural, Beitbridge and Gwanda districts.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is funding the project.
The first case of cholera in the country was recorded on 12 February this year in Chegutu, Mashonaland West Province before spreading to all the 10 provinces. Previous cholera outbreaks were recorded in 2018.
To date, 17 cholera hotspot districts have been severely affected across the country. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Manicaland reported the second-highest number of cholera cases after Harare since the outbreak this year.
Although the outbreak has slowed down, cases are still being reported.
Speaking at a recent Matabeleland South provincial inception meeting held in Gwanda, Zimbabwe Red Cross Society national co-ordinator, Mr Innocent Chamusingarevi, said the project will facilitate improved case management of cholera and improve basic sanitation and good hygiene practices.
“The project seeks to prevent and control the spread of cholera outbreak at community and family levels in the affected districts. It will also facilitate improved case management of cholera outbreak and improve basic sanitation and good hygiene practices as well as access to safe drinking water in cholera hotspots,” he said.
Mr Chamusingarevi said a risk assessment analysis will first be conducted in the five districts to assess behavioural challenges, local cultures, customs, concerns and risk behaviours and practices.
He said 280 volunteers and 20 village health workers that will support the activities will be trained in each district. The volunteers will be provided with tools, pocket guides for cholera and visibility materials to support disseminating cholera prevention and control messages including signs and symptoms, risk factors and prevention measures. The volunteers will be deployed to conduct house visits to sensitise communities on cholera.
“The project also seeks to enhance hygiene promotion and access to safe drinking water. We will train 140 (10 per ward) School Health Masters (SHMs) teachers on WASH. This is in a bid to improve School-Led Total Sanitation (SLTS), whereby the school health masters shall be trained on WASH and SLTS,” he said.
“Under the project, we will also distribute water treatment solutions to ensure that households using unsafe water for drinking are treating the water at the point of use.
“There will be the provision of water purification tablets in communities, school administrations and rural health centres where more risk factors are usually observed.”
Mr Chamusingarevi said community leaders, community structures and traditional leaders will be engaged through meetings and educational sessions to discuss the risks of a cholera outbreak. He said they will also play a key role in raising awareness and influencing behaviour change.
Zimbabwe Red Cross Society operations manager, Mr Ernest Maruza, said the cholera response strategy seeks to build community resilience for future purposes. He said a funding mechanism for anticipatory actions that build on the capacity of communities will be developed.
Speaking at the same meeting, Beitbridge District medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere, said Beitbridge is the only district in Matabeleland South that has recorded cholera cases since the outbreak.
The district has recorded 126 confirmed cases and three deaths. Of these cases, 11 were reported in Beitbridge urban and Dr Samhere said about 60 percent of the cases were males. The majority of the cases are in the adult population, which is 15 years and above.
“Cholera was first recorded in Kwalu 2 area in Beitbridge as a result of contaminated water, which was being consumed by residents,” said Dr Samhere.
“Investigations have shown that the borehole water that was being consumed by residents from the area is contaminated by human waste.”
Zimbabwe recorded the worst cholera outbreak in 2008, which affected 98 596 people and claimed more than 4 000 lives, making it the largest and deadliest outbreak in the history of the country.
A subsequent outbreak was reported in 2018, which affected 10 421 people while killing 69 people. Cabinet last month noted that water and sanitation challenges were responsible for the surge in cholera cases that had been reported in the country.
The World Health Organisation on World Water Day in March expressed concern over the upsurge of cholera even in countries that had not had the disease in decades.
Online Reporter