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(HERALD) Cholera cases drop sharply, says WHO

Cholera cases drop sharply, says WHO
Herald Reporter

CHOLERA cases in Zimbabwe have been declining since February from more than 8 000 cases a week to 2 076 cases per week this month, according to the World Health Organisation. WHO says there has also been a slump in the weekly case fatality rate from 6 percent recorded in January to 2,3 percent by mid-March.

In a statement published on the WHO website on Monday, the body said the cholera situation was improving but observed that more efforts were required to contain the disease.

"In the week ending 14 March 2009, 2 076 cases were reported. While this number is still high, it compares to 3 812 cases in the immediately preceding week and over 8 000 cases per week at the beginning of February," it said.

"The weekly case fatality rate has also decreased from its peak of nearly 6 percent in January and, while still too high, stood at 2,3 percent for the week ending 14 March."

The fall in cholera cases in the country follows concerted efforts by Government, with the assistance of friendly nations, UN agencies and other donors to arrest the outbreak.

In December last year the Government declared the cholera outbreak a national emergency with appeals to the donor community for assistance to fight the epidemic.

The Sadc region reacted quickly to the appeals with its chairman and South African President Kgalema Motlanthe launching an urgent international campaign to assist Zimbabwe deal with the outbreak the same month.

WHO also observed a decrease in the death rate at various cholera treatment centres.

"Moreover, the case fatality rate in cholera treatment facilities has decreased to 0,8 percent in the week of 1-7 March, the last week for which accurate statistics of this measure exist. This is below the acceptable level of 1 percent. The percentage of deaths occurring in the community, outside of cholera treatment facilities, remains high but has declined to 33 percent from 62 percent," WHO said.

It said data collection and verification remained a challenge throughout the country but reiterated that the overall trend over the last two months was a decrease in the number of cases and deaths.

As of March 17, WHO said, 91 164 cases with 4 037 deaths had been reported since the beginning of the recent outbreak in August 2008.

"Cases have decreased in all provinces. On the other hand, cases reported are increasing again in and around the capital, Harare. The risk of the outbreak restarting in those areas of the country is real," it said.

WHO stressed the need to remain vigilant and reinforcing the control measures already in place adding that it had a sizeable team working at the national cholera command and control centre in Harare.

It said the objective of the cholera control measures in the coming days was to extend operations at provincial and district levels.

Labels: CHOLERA, NEOCOLONIALISM, WHO

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