Nocere – Earth Disasters

Amid a drastic cholera epidemic, Zimbabwe now faces yet another problem – limitation in clean water supply. Since the dawn of cholera in August, 500 have died and many infected. Collapse of the country’s health and sanitation systems has been the main cause of the epidemic. Without proper management, water and sanitation systems soon became the source of epidemic spread.

Many areas are reported to be in extreme shortage of portable water supply; both drinking and medical use. In Mabvuku and Tafara areas, eastern of Harare, water has been cut off since April. In city center, water is only available for an hour or so each day.

According to emergency clinics, as much as 60 litres of water are required to treat a single cholera patient. They are receiving approximately 200 patients each day. Currently, water from boreholes are delivered to the clinic via trucks, however, both boreholes and trucks are short in numbers. Clinics have since implemented water restriction regime, whereby each patient would receive just half the amount of water, from 60 litres to a mere 30 litres.

If water supply is not met, cholera epidemic could worsen especially during rainy season.

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