BEITBRIDGE Town Council and South African health officials have formed a joint health committee following reports of a fresh cholera outbreak in the neighbouring country.
Report by Nqobani Ndlovu
Last Monday, health officials from South Africa’s Messina and Limpopo provinces toured Beitbridge on a fact-finding mission to establish the source of the outbreak.
Beitbridge town clerk Sipho Singo confirmed the visit, adding that the South African delegation went back empty-handed after failing to find evidence linking the outbreak to the border town.
“It was finally agreed that we form a joint health committee to stay prepared, map strategies to prevent cholera. The meeting underscored the need for greater cooperation to avoid cholera,” said Singo.
Cholera, a water-borne disease, claimed over 4 000 Zimbabweans in 2008. The outbreak was centred mainly in Harare, but later spread to other outlying areas due to poor sanitary facilities then obtaining in most urban centres.
Since then, health officials have been on high alert although sanitation has remained a cause for concern.
