Musina water free of cholera

2008-11-26 12:03

Musina - Water sources around Musina and Beit Bridge in Limpopo were testing negative for the cholera diagnosed in over 200 people, mostly Zimbabweans, who have sought treatment for the disease at medical facilities there, a water affairs official said on Wednesday.

"It doesn't show anything," said chief director of the department, Alson Matukane.

"It is different from normal cholera, because the cholera come walking in," he explained, referring to the 208 Zimbabweans who had been attended to in South Africa since November 15 as that country's strained health service battles to cope.

This is an increase from the 189 cases the Limpopo health authorities reported on Tuesday.

Joint operations team

Spokesperson Phuti Seloba said health authorities were about to cross the border to Zimbabwe with a truck-load of supplies donated by an organisation, and these would be distributed there.

He added that some of the new cases were Zimbabweans living in South Africa who had contracted the disease on visits to relatives and had sought treatment on their return.

In line with a Cabinet decision, the South African government has said it will help the Zimbabwean authorities bring the outbreak under control.

A joint operations team is meeting twice a day to assess needs and plan ahead for the interventions being carried out by the government and non-governmental organisations.

So far, these include distributing water and water purification tablets, soap, and information leaflets, in addition to assisting at rehydration centres in the town.

UN criticism

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon echoed last week's Cabinet criticism of political leaders in Zimbabwe.

According to a statement posted on Reliefweb, his office said he was "distressed at the collapse of health, sanitation and education services, and the consequent rapidly escalating cholera outbreak.

"The Secretary-General urges all parties to support and provide humanitarian assistance, leaving political considerations aside."

In a statement last week, Cabinet criticised the leaders in that country for busying themselves with politics at the expense of a humanitarian crisis.

Matukane said water affairs was doing all it could to help alleviate the crisis in the busy border town. Three people have already died from the disease there, with another death in Durban.

"If they need tankers, we stock them with water. We are doing anything we can think of to help."

The department is also finalising the paperwork required to cross the border to help on the Zimbabwean side too, he said.

The Herald reported that Zimbabwe was reviewing its strategies to curb the spread of the disease as well as intensifying information dissemination.

It was also finishing drilling three boreholes for water.

A World Health Organisation fact sheet states that individuals with lower immunity, such as malnourished children or people living with HIV, are at greater risk of death if infected by cholera.

Almost five million Zimbabweans are estimated to be in need of food aid.

- SAPA