A tapeworm outbreak has reportedly hit Rutendo and Torwood suburbs, a situation that has strained the local authority’s resources.
Scores of residents have been in and out of health institutions over the past couple of weeks to get treatment.
A taskforce set up by Redcliff municipality to help address financial challenges facing the local authority has been forced to spring into action to avert a serious health disaster.
Former Redcliff executive mayor and a member of the taskforce, Rogers Chisi, told NewsDay the tapeworm outbreak was a result of unhygienic conditions.
“In Torwood there are about 500 households with access to 37 communal toilets and recently only three of those toilets were working owing to sewer blockages,” he said.
“In Rutendo the sewer system has crumbled forcing people to use the bush causing the outbreak. “The taskforce approached the Ministry of Health which then mobilised resources from Silobela, Kwekwe and Gweru hospitals in a major deworming exercise, which targeted the 60 000 people of Redcliff and it was a success,” said Chisi.
He said government had also chipped in with $550 000, which would be used for construction of more toilets. Redcliff town clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza said the tapeworms emanated from burst sewer pipes.
Gwatipedza listed sewer blockages, use of untreated sewage from non-functional sewer plants, “bush toilets” and illegal dump sites as causes of the outbreak. She told council a total of 30 235 people had received treatment.
