Zimbabwe: Cholera outbreak claims 32 lives

By Tufan Aktas

HARARE, Zimbabwe

A cholera outbreak has killed 32 people in Zimbabwe’s capital, officials said on Friday.

Clemence Duri, health director for the city of Harare, said in a statement that around 7,500 people had been affected by the disease.

Duri said the outbreak, which emerged in early September, is slowly being taken under control.

“The daily number of suspected patients has decreased to 150, from around 1,000 since the start of the disease,” he added.

In order to prevent the disease from reaching other areas of the southern African country, a state of emergency was declared in the capital, while all public events were canceled.

The disease is thought to be caused by the contaminated water drawn from wells in the city, whose infrastructure is sub-standard.

By Tufan Aktas

HARARE, Zimbabwe

A cholera outbreak has killed 32 people in Zimbabwe’s capital, officials said on Friday.

Clemence Duri, health director for the city of Harare, said in a statement that around 7,500 people had been affected by the disease.

Duri said the outbreak, which emerged in early September, is slowly being taken under control.

“The daily number of suspected patients has decreased to 150, from around 1,000 since the start of the disease,” he added.

In order to prevent the disease from reaching other areas of the southern African country, a state of emergency was declared in the capital, while all public events were canceled.

The disease is thought to be caused by the contaminated water drawn from wells in the city, whose infrastructure is sub-standard.