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.
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Since then, health officials have been on high alert although sanitation has remained a cause for concern.