BY BRENNA MATENDERE
THE Department of Civil Protection (DCP) in Gweru and the local authority have partnered to fight typhoid after the city last week recorded two suspected typhoid deaths in Mkoba suburb.
On Monday, an emergency meeting was held at Town House between DCP members led by the body’s chairperson Joram Chimedza and the city council health department to introspect on the situation prevailing in the city after the Mkoba deaths.
Chimedza said it was agreed that the city goes on high alert while waiting for results of sample tests on stools carried out in Mkoba to ascertain if the deaths were related to waterborne diseases.
“We had a meeting at Town House and I called for that meeting so that I get an update on the efforts that are being made to ascertain what caused the Mkoba cases. We wanted to find out where we are as a city on that problem.
What came out is that there were tests carried out on water and people’s stools at points of exit in Mkoba where there are two children who died in the suburb’s village 12. On Friday (today) that is when the full results are coming out and we are not taking chances, but carrying out thorough tests for all possible diseases,” he said.
City council spokesperson Vimbai Chingwaramusee said after the meeting, the local authority’s rapid response team started rolling out awareness campaigns on high standards of hygiene and the need to consume safe water.
“Our rapid response team is now on the ground educating people about good hygiene. The teams are also investigating cases of areas where there could be disease outbreaks. Our rapid response teams met with the (DCP) and discussed ways of averting any health disaster,” she said.
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A 2018 typhoid outbreak in Mkoba killed 11 people and left thousands hospitalised.
