Deaths from diarrhoea on the increase

By The NewsDay | Jun. 28, 2013 | 1 Min read

TWENTY THREE people died countrywide in one week bringing the total number of diarrhoea-induced deaths to 231 since the beginning of the year.

REPORT BY FELUNA NLEYA

According to the Health and Child Welfare ministry disease surveillance for the week ending June 16, 15 of the deaths were of children below the age of five years.

“The total diarrhoea cases reported this week are 15 078 cases and 23 deaths,” reads the report. “Of the reported cases 10 069 and 15 deaths were of children under five years of age.”

Mpilo and Harare Central hospitals recorded the highest deaths with six each, whilst Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Makoni district had four each. United Bulawayo Hospital, Zaka and Chipinge district hospitals all recorded one death each. Total cases for the first six months have reached 246 738. The report also recorded one new suspected typhoid case.

“The case was reported from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals. The cumulative figure for typhoid is 1 364,” read the report.

The same report added that the ministry recorded 6 024 malaria cases and six deaths in the same week.

“Of the cases reported, 1 131 and one death were under the age of five years. The provinces which reported the highest number of malaria cases were Manicaland and Mashonaland West provinces,” the report said.