(NEWZIMBABWE, THE ATLANTIC) UN under fire over cholera cover-up
COMMENT - Typical neoliberal garbage from The Atlantic, where
Tendai Biti laid out the MDC's treasonous agenda on Zimbabwe's national independence day - and we know how neoliberals feel about national sovereignty.
UN under fire over cholera cover-up
Cover-up ... Cholera patients with cups of sugar solution at Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare
03/04/2013 00:00:00
by The Atlantic
ZIMBABWE, a potential economic powerhouse which critics say has been ruined under President Robert Mugabe’s rule, is heading for a potential turning point.
A mostly peaceful, popular referendum on March 16 approved a relatively progressive constitution that includes a theoretically strong bill of rights, and general elections will likely be held later in the year.
But the past couple months have also seen another, less noted development that adds an additional layer of ambiguity to the country's future.
On February 26th, a UN tribunal in Johannesburg determined that Georges Tadonki, the head of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA ) in Zimbabwe in 2008, had been wrongfully fired from the UN after he attempted to warn headquarters of an oncoming cholera epidemic, whose severity was compounded by the on-going electoral violence.
He was fired after Agostinho Zacarias, then the UN's country chief in Zimbabwe and currently the UN Development Program's Resident Coordinator in South Africa, decided that his own closeness with Zanu PF overrode his responsibilities to the UN’s missions and values.
Yet Zacarias was actively abetted by officials at the UN headquarters in Turtle Bay, Manhattan in the US, who gave into his demands, which included the marginalisation and eventual firing of Tadonki, even as conditions inside Zimbabwe deteriorated.
The case raises the question of just how the UN will perform in Zimbabwe if the events of 2008 repeat themselves - or in the event that the country finally experiences its long sought-after democratic transition.
Tadonki brought a wrongful termination claim against the UN after the organisation effectively fired him in early 2009.
The UN's bulletproof legal immunity necessitates an unusual system for adjudicating such cases. Because the UN cannot be sued, tribunals convened by the UN itself deal with employment claims, pseudo-courts that don't adhere to several important aspects of accepted U.S. and European legal procedure.
Legal immunity
The UN-appointed judges found that Tadonki's firing was the result of concentric layers of favouritism and bad faith, tendencies that defined not only the country head's relationship with Mugabe's government, but Turtle Bay's apparently-backward view of the UN's entire mission in Zimbabwe.
According to the tribunal, in addition to upholding the egalitarian values of the UN Charter, Zacarias's job charged him with "speaking out about humanitarian issues and defending humanitarian principles." In these respects, he was a clear failure. He had a tight relationship with members of Mugabe’s Zanu PF ruling party.
According to Robert Amsterdam, who was one of Tadonki's lawyers, Zacarias' testimony revealed that he had known various Zanu PF leaders when they were based in Mozambique during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
According to the decision, during his posting in Zimbabwe, Zacarias "would spend most of his social time with Nicholas Goche, a Zanu PF politburo member and current transport and minister. This closeness spurred a wilful ignorance of the country's deteriorating conditions.
In the run-up to the disastrous 2008 vote, "Zacarias seemed to not take cognizance of the fact that there was likely to be widespread and unprecedented violence," despite the mobilisation of pro-Zanu PF paramilitary.
Even as pro-Mugabe militants savaged the opposition MDC and its supporters, Zacarias did his best to shield himself from the ruling party's scrutiny, even if it meant discarding commonly-held humanitarian protocol.
"The bottom line," the tribunal concludes, "is that the political agenda that Zacarias was engaged in with the government of Zimbabwe far outweighed any humanitarian concerns that OCHA (Tadonki's office) may have had."
In the report's most scathing section, the judges explain that Zacarias's closeness to the Zanu PF made it impossible for Tadonki to carry out his duties as the head of OCHA - a stance which had deep consequences for Zimbabweans counting on the UN's assistance in the midst of a cholera epidemic and political emergency:
“There was a humanitarian drama unfolding and people were dying. Part of the population had been abandoned and subjected to repression. The issue between Tadonki and Zacarias was to what extent these humanitarian concerns should be exposed and addressed and the risk that there was of infuriating the Mugabe government,” reads part of the report.
“Matters started to sour when the Tadonki started doing his job. Zacarias preferred that the he remain quiet. But if he remained quiet, OCHA at (the UN) headquarters would say he was not doing his job. Therefore while silence would bring him trouble from OCHA, noise would infuriate Zacarias.
“When the Applicant started organising a forum made up of the NGOs, the United Nations and the donors to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe with the approval of Zacarias and to achieve a common understanding of the humanitarian situation, Zacarias became angry.”
Tadonki didn't stay silent however; he "had the courage to inform the OCHA Headquarters in New York that Zimbabwe was on the brink of a humanitarian crisis while Zacarias was pretending to the contrary."
Zacarias had undermined Tadonki at other points during the OCHA head's brief yet eventful stint in Zimbabwe, most notably by convincing the Zimbabwean government not to approve residency accreditation for Tadonki's wife and children, who were living in South Africa during his period of employment (covered in paragraph 163 of the ruling).
But Tadonki paid an additional and even deeper price for his willingness to warn Turtle Bay about Zimbabwe's humanitarian plight - he was fired in January 2009, after he had warned of the potential ravages of the looming cholera outbreak, which was worsened by the electoral chaos and eventually killed over 4,000 people.
Tadonki was investigated by a UN bureaucrat at Zacarias's behest, even when there was no proof of professional malfeasance.
"Part of the reason nobody could take on Zacarias was that his role was unassailable," explains Amsterdam. UN headquarters was convinced that in terms of their Zimbabwe operations, "Zacarias was the absolutely critical pivot, and everything could be sacrificed to him."
Tadonki's two predecessors were also fired after brief and tumultuous postings to Harare, and Amsterdam believes that the UN knowingly sent his client into an extremely hostile work environment.
"That they could have put anybody into the situation after Zacarias had savaged the prior two occupants of that post was just inhumane. It was like they were setting him up for exactly what transpired," said Amsterdam.
Still, the UN has stated that it is appealing its own tribunal's decision. A spokesperson refused to comment on the case last month - except to say that "judgments of the UN Dispute Tribunal are not final until they have been confirmed by the UN Appeals Tribunal," and that "the Organization intends to file an appeal of this judgment."
For Amsterdam, the decision to appeal reveals just how little the UN has learned from the Tadonki affair. "If you had a normal organisation, heads would roll," he says. "Structures would change. But clearly this is not a normal organization. This is an organization that's pathological in its respect for its employees."
The events in the Tadonki case mostly happened in 2008, but they are less distant than they seem - and not just because of the UN's plans to appeal.
In a plausible worst-case scenario, this coming year will bear a similarity to the crisis of 2008. With elections planned for an as-yet unannounced date later in the year, the country could be heading towards another inflection point, or even another explosion - situations in which international organisations would take on heavy humanitarian and moral responsibilities.
New elections
"The UN was being asked, and will be asked in the future, to play a key role in the transition in Zimbabwe, and they have been completely contaminated by their behaviour," says Todd Moss, a senior fellow at the Centre for Global Development, and an official in the US State Department's African Affairs office during the 2008 election crisis.
"It comes down to trust. Who is the UN supposed to be working for? The signals were pretty clear that parts of the UN office in Harare were working very closely with Zanu PF," he said
The successful constitutional referendum raises the possibility of an election that is at least procedurally sound.
In addition Zimbabwe and Zambia are co-hosting the UN World Tourism Organization's general assembly in August of this year, raising hopes that an influential faction within Zanu PF genuinely wants to reintegrate the country with the rest of the region and the international community more generally. A clean vote would be an ideal place to start.
But Moss sees little reason to believe that the party's brutal electoral calculus has changed.
"There's no prospect of an opposition victory as long as Mugabe is alive," says Moss.
There's evidence that Zanu PF is already going after opposition and civil society organisations in the run-up to an election that hasn't even been scheduled yet.
In January, agents broke into the offices of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, which keeps a database of police malpractice, and arrested its director; in December, police arrested members of the independent Zimbabwean Electoral Support Network for holding "an unsanctioned public meeting."
Police also recently raided the studios of Radio Dialogue, an influential community broadcasting project, and, most notably, human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa and four Tsvangarai aides were arrested in late March.
"There's an impressive level of political direction and assertiveness by ordinary citizens, human rights defenders, and civil society," says Jeff Smith, an advocacy officer for the Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights.
"What's worrying is that the Zanu PF regime has really been able to keep these social forces in check."
This year's vote could be no more legitimate than 2008's. The question however, is still whether Mugabe will allow the opposition to win - and whether it's possible to have any kind of democratic process in a country where the government is so determined to hold onto power.
Labels: CHOLERA, HAITI, UN
Read more...
Humanitarian Malfeasance
The United Nations is responsible for killing more than 8,000 Haitians since 2010. And it’s not even willing to say it’s sorry.
By Jonathan M. Katz|Posted Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at 2:12 PM
A horrendous mistake made by the United Nations has led to the death of 8,000 Haitians since 2010. Why do U.N. leaders refuse to take responsibility for Haiti’s cholera epidemic?
International affairs can be complicated, but sometimes a case comes along that’s so simple it’s almost absurd. In 2010, the United Nations made a horrendous mistake that, so far, has claimed more than 8,000 lives. Its officials tried to cover it up. When the evidence came out anyway, lawyers for victims’ families petitioned the U.N. to end the crisis, pay damages, and apologize. For a year and a half, the world’s leading humanitarian organization said nothing. Then, last week, it threw out the case, saying, “The claims are not receivable.”
The background should be well-known by now. But despite the fact that American taxpayers have footed the lion’s share of the bill for the U.N. peacekeepers responsible for this disaster—to the tune of roughly $1.5 billion since 2004—the story remains largely unknown in the United States.
The place was Haiti. The mistake: a killer combination of cholera and gross negligence. The peacekeeping mission, known by its French initials, MINUSTAH, had been in the country since 2004, when it was authorized to protect an interim government installed after a coup. Six years later—thanks to a healthy dose of mission creep—the peacekeepers were still there. While rotating troops into what was now post-quake Haiti, the U.N. neglected to adequately screen a contingent of soldiers coming from an active cholera outbreak in Nepal. Upon arrival, the soldiers were sent to a rural U.N. base, outside the quake zone and long known for leaking sewage into a major river system that millions of Haitians used to drink, bathe, wash, and farm. Within days of their arrival, people downstream began to die. The epidemic then exploded, sickening more than 647,000 people, and killing in its first year more than twice the number of people who died on 9/11.
Advertisement
The imported strain, which could turn a healthy adult into a shivering, vomiting, diarrhea-ridden puddle within hours, has since been popping up across the region. After a protracted fight and a spate of investigations, scientists were soon able to confirm the source of the infection. They found it was a perfect match for the specific strain circulating 8,900 miles away in Nepal. There had never been a confirmed case of cholera in Haiti before.
To many, inside the U.N. system and out, it seemed the best thing would be to acknowledge the disaster, make amends, and move on. But that’s not what Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N.’s leadership decided to do. From the outbreak’s first days, the officials and staff of an organization dedicated to establishing respect for the rule of law chose to lie, dissemble, destroy evidence, persuade allies to change the topic, and cajole critics. (You can read the story of my investigation, and this early cover-up, in my new book.) A more recent tactic has been for the U.N. to shut down talk about the epidemic’s cause by discussing its new effort to eradicate the disease—despite the fact that the primary program it is touting is not actually a U.N. effort, lacks clear goals, and remains almost totally unfunded.
For the last year, the U.N. had deflected questions by insisting it could not comment on a pending case. The victims’ families thus found themselves in the awkward position of waiting for the organization whose negligence had killed their loved ones to decide whether it would consider prosecuting itself.
Then, on Thursday, the answer came back: No. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon added a generic statement expressing sympathy for the thousands killed and hundreds of thousands sickened or left unable to work by the disease. His spokesman dodged all further questions.
Haitians wash clothes in a stream January 8, 2011 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Haitians wash clothes in a stream January 8, 2011 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Many homes in the area were destroyed and residents have set up makeshift tents to live in nearby.
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
The rationale for throwing out the case was seemingly blunt: The U.N. claimed total immunity from prosecution, liability, and the law. It based this notion on a U.N. convention, by way of a status-of-forces agreement, or SOFA, signed by Haiti’s interim prime minister (a former U.N. official) in 2004. Such agreements make it possible for foreign militaries to work without fear of harassment by local courts or police. They’re common—the United States has one with nearly half the world’s countries. But they’re supposed to be a two-way street. In one crucial section, for instance, MINUSTAH agreed to “cooperate with respect to sanitary services and … in matters concerning health, particularly in respect to the control of communicable diseases.”
Another crucial section comes a few pages later. Since the SOFA meant that Haitian courts could not prosecute U.N. personnel, it laid out a procedure for resolving disputes: the formation of a “standing claims commission.” This, too, is standard, though no one is quite certain what such a commission would look like—the U.N. has never actually formed one.
It’s not clear exactly how the U.N. justified not forming a commission to adjudicate the claim, but spokesman Martin Nesirky gave a clue in his press conference. He told reporters that “consideration … would necessarily involve the review of political and policy measures.” Nesirky appears, quite vaguely, to be invoking an exemption in the SOFA, which says a commission does not have to be formed if a claim arises from “operational necessity.” Is the U.N. arguing that dumping infected sewage into a major river was an operational necessity? The U.N. press office rebuffed my request for clarification.
The U.N.’s claim of immunity is ironic in Haiti, where, after all, a lack of immunity was the problem: Haitians had no resistance to the imported disease because they’d never been exposed to it before. That nightmare continues. Though cases have tapered off, there are indications the disease is once again on the rise. Haiti’s health ministry reported a spike in cases nationwide in December 2012 and January 2013, with active outbreaks continuing in three of the country’s departments.
Fifteen-year-old cholera patient Jonas Florvil sits on a cot in a ward at a Samaritan's Purse cholera treatment center in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 8, 2011.
Fifteen-year-old cholera patient Jonas Florvil sits on a cot in a ward at a Samaritan's Purse cholera treatment center in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 8, 2011.
Photo by Allison Shelley/Reuters
It doesn’t have to be this way. Cholera, which spreads through contamination of food or water, can be prevented with good sanitation. It’s even easier to treat: Medicine is usually not required, just the speedy replacement of lost fluids. The U.N. estimates it would cost $2.27 billion to provide the necessary infrastructure in Haiti over the next 10 years. The victims’ lawyers have asked for up to $100,000 in additional compensation for each of the families they represent. In all, the total cost would probably be shy of $3 billion—a bargain compared with the economic, social, and personal damage the epidemic has brought. To put that figure in perspective, MINUSTAH’s budget for 2013 alone—again, a quarter of which is provided by the United States—is $644 million. Reduce the size of the nine-year-old peacekeeping mission, which after all is patrolling a country that’s not at war, and you could start paying that debt down quickly.
So what happens now? The U.N. could decide to pay on its own, perhaps without an admission of responsibility. But given its actions over the last two years—as officials who have publicly lied about the facts of the case have been promoted while the organization ponies up a scant 1 percent of the cost of its adopted initiative—that seems unlikely, absent outside pressure.
The families’ lawyers with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti—a longtime U.N. foe—have vowed to take the fight to the courts, hoping the denial of accountability will win the sympathy of a judge in Europe, Haiti, or the United States. But they know it’s a long shot. The world body will likely claim immunity there, too, and many judges will be inclined to agree. The U.N.’s interpretation of its own immunity statutes and agreements is hard to overrule.
But there’s one other document worth considering in the meantime: “To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. To establish conditions under which justice and respect for … international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.” Those are the words of the preamble to the United Nations charter. It’s not too late for the U.N. in Haiti to live up to them.
Labels: BAN KI-MOON, CHOLERA, HAITI, NEOCOLONIALISM, UN
Read more...
Mugabe-bashing, Politics of humanitarian aid
Tuesday, 12 July 2011 02:00
By Farirai Chubvu
IN the run-up to the 2008 harmonised elections, the MDC-T leadership told us ad nauseum, that their Western handlers were standing at the borders ready to rush in with bagfuls of greenbacks (US dollars) to improve people's livelihoods. Some, in their wisdom or lack of it, swallowed this rhetoric and almost sent the revolution out of kilter when they voted for Tsvangirai and his cat's paw party.
The 2008 cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe and the dawn of the inclusive Government were both met with enthusiastic if not bragging announcements of support pledges from a few of these Western countries.
It is not like the sanctions-ravaged country had not needed any aid since the illegal sanctions were imposed in 2001.
Organisations like Oxfam, Save the Children and others had been involved with providing humanitarian aid in many parts of the country during that period.
During this time the US led Western alliance had their governments largely involved in the acrimonious rhetoric that all the lack and want in Zimbabwe was Mugabe's fault, not a result of the economic strangulation that had collectively launched on Zimbabwe.
Now three years down the line, ‘‘the best finance minister'' in Africa is still singing the blues and today stands at loggerheads with long-suffering civil servants who want to know when their lot will be improved.
Many in the public service and ordinary Zimbabweans country-wide must surely know that their livelihoods were destroyed by the West's illegal economic sanctions regime that the MDC-T leadership refuse to condemn to this day.
At the risk of being viewed as one wont to vitiating the GPA and its inclusive Government, and in the process frustrating the helping hand we believe the West is, this writer will interrogate the posturing of humanitarian intervention we saw when the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai visited the White House in 2008, along with pledges made by other Western governments - all supposedly to be expected to come through unnamed Western NGOs operating in Zimbabwe.
In international relations, states are rarely considered as moral agents; they are vehicles of power, which operate in the interests of the particular internal power structures of their respective societies. So, anybody who intervenes in another country is most likely going to be doing so for their own purposes - and that has always been true in history.
When the US decided to intervene in Somalia in 1992, that was sold in heartland America as "humanitarian intervention" just as was the promised US$73 million to Zimbabwe by US president Barack Obama.
For Somalia, the United States waited very carefully as the Somali famine ravaged the country between 1991 and 1992, the same way they waited patiently as the economy of Zimbabwe crumbled under ruinous sanctions from 2001 to date.
The same major international aid organisations like the Red Cross, Save the Children and others were doing a lot of work in Somalia just like they have been doing in Zimbabwe, albeit not enough to halt the demise in both cases.
So, if the US government had had any humanitarian feelings with regard to Somalia - it had plenty of time to show it - in fact they could have shown it from 1978 through to 1990, when the US was Siad Barre's chief international supporter.
When the US' supported strongman collapsed, the US pulled out, a civil war erupted and has not yet ended. There was mass starvation, and the US did nothing.
The famine and the civil war reached peak levels in 1992, and still the US waited cleverly until around the November 1992 Presidential election in the US.
Then, Somalia became a favourite place to do impressive photo shoots for the election. The campaign managers reckoned that if the US government sent 30 000 Marines into Somalia when the famine was declining and the feuding fighters were getting weary, that would be a nice opportunity to get nice shots of Marine colonels handing out cookies to starving children.
People like Colin Powell publicly said the mission would be "good for the Pentagon".
Equally, if the US government had had any humanitarian feelings for Zimbabwe, then it should never have even thought of enacting the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera), the sanctions 2001 sanctions law that stops US companies from doing any business with Zimbabwean business entities.
The US, the UK and other Western countries publicly celebrated the suffering in Zimbabwe as "Mugabe's unsound policies" for about eight years, and they waited very carefully for an opportune time to play public relations with the lives of Zimbabweans.
So, they waited until the cholera outbreak reached its peak, killing thousands of people, and they reckoned this was an opportune time for photo shoots of a helping hand underlined by a strong media base line of, "it's all Mugabe's fault".
With the inclusive Government coming in place in February 2009, they reckoned it was perfect timing for photo shoots announcing their scepticism of the whole arrangement covered in impressive announcements of financial pledges destined for Zimbabwe's suffering masses - albeit via routes that have nothing to do whatsoever with the inclusive Government.
What a way of showing the world humanitarian love for Zimbabweans while showing disdain for President Mugabe and everything associated with the man.
The poor masses of Zimbabwe can be massacred by murderous sanctions when it suits the purposes of Western governments, but they can also come in handy when it suits Western public relations to posture as humanitarians of the highest order.
This tactic does not always work out well. For Somalia, it was a nightmare when the US lost 18 marines in one Somali strike and they were forced into a hasty and unplanned humiliating retreat.
When you put a foreign military force into another country, it will not be long before they are fighting the local population, never mind that the population may have welcomed the invaders in the first place.
Take Northern Ireland for instance where the British were invited by the Catholic population in August 1969.
Two months later, the British were murdering the Catholic population. The same happened with the invasion of Iraq.
No sooner did we see the celebrating masses at the deposition of Saddam Hussein than we saw American troops murdering the same masses in Baghdad.
Some Zimbabweans might have celebrated the imposition of sanctions in the vainglorious hope that the embargo would put MDC-T in power, but over the years people have come to understand the deleterious nature of the sanctions and, are naturally peeved by both the West and the MDC-T for their role in the destruction of the economy in the last eight years.
The public relations posturing will not impress Zimbabweans at all, and the MDC-T's refusal to condemn the sanctions does not help matters either as it exposes the deception in this mischievous posturing by Western governments.
We were told by the Australian government that they were only going to support the ministries run by members of Tsvangirai's party.
That announcement was calculated not only at isolating President Mugabe and Zanu-PF government officials, but also at painting that picture that Australia has humanitarian feelings for the people of Zimbabwe.
This is the country that worked so tirelessly to have Zimbabwe expelled from the Commonwealth, and they even punished innocent cricketers in the name of punishing President Mugabe.
The public relations posturing has manifested itself in a number of ways.
We have heard this earth shuttering gospel about human rights abuses in Zimbabwe and how the West would never rest until all Zimbabweans are exposed to freedom and liberty.
The number one evidence of these human rights abuses are the thousands of Zimbabweans who have told dramatised stories of how they escaped "Mugabe's murderous men" as they fled to various Western destinations.
These are the ‘‘asylum seekers'' that have told drama stories of living "dead parents and family members" all killed by Mugabe.
Their stories needed no verification because they were good enough for public relations and Mugabe-bashing.
The West must be seen to be offering refuge to unfortunate escapees fleeing a "murderous regime".
All these people know for a fact that they fled Western sanctions, but they cannot say so to Western immigration officials. That would betray the whole cause and it certainly would not do.
One would have thought that the West would at least trust that Zimbabweans knew what they wanted when they signed the GPA on September 15 2008.
Zimbabwe may in the end benefit or be harmed by these Western machinations and this writer is not certain what the outcome will be.
Whatever it is, the reality is that humanitarianism is not part of it. The country just happens to offer excellent props for photo opportunities and good publicity back in Western communities.
Any benefits that may come our way may be purely incidental.
Labels: CHOLERA, MDC, PROPAGANDA
Read more...
SUBJECT: HARARE EAC REVIEWS TRIPWIRES AND CHOLERA OUTBREAK
Tuesday, 16 December 2008, 12:46
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Post’s EAC met on December 15 to review trip wires in relation to the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe and the collapse of medical services.
The EAC agreed that the situation falls within the “Growing Potential for Drawdown” category in which Post has generally operated since March 2007. The EAC reviewed existing precautions and recommended others.
Post requests funding to purchase an additional water truck and a reverse osmosis water purification unit. END SUMMARY.
¶2. (U) In response to a request from Crisis Management Support, and following up on Embassy Harare’s December 2 EAC (Ref A), Post’s EAC met on December 15 to specifically review Post’s tripwires in relation to the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe and the collapse of medical services. Management, medical and USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) staff provided context for the discussion by describing the nature of the crisis and Post’s response to date (Ref B). The EAC used the meeting to review tripwires broadly in relation to the deteriorating political situation in Zimbabwe as well. RSO noted that Embassy Harare has been in the “Growing Potential for Drawdown” category since the surge in political violence in March of 2007 (Ref C). Since that time, the EAC has regularly reviewed and revised precautionary measures depending on the immediate threats facing Post personnel. These reviews have focused on political, security and logistical issues, but have not in the past tested the adequacy of Post ‘s medical tripwires.
---------
Tripwires
---------
¶3. (SBU) Post’s tripwires for medical threats distinguish between the seriousness and the susceptibility to control of a medical epidemic. The three tripwires for “Growing Potential,” “Authorized Departure” and “Ordered Departure” are:
--There is an outbreak of a medical epidemic that could pose a direct risk to post personnel and private American citizens.
-- There is an outbreak of a medical epidemic that can be controlled but still poses a serious medical risk to post personnel and dependents and American citizens.
--An outbreak of a medical epidemic that cannot be controlled and poses a serious medical risk to post personnel and dependents and American citizens occurs.
--------------
Where We Stand
--------------
¶4. (U) Post’s medical officer and the USAID OFDA representative explained to the EAC that cholera is a preventable disease that spreads where hygiene is poor. In Zimbabwe the breakdown in public services means that untreated sewage and garbage litter the streets of high-density neighborhoods while supplies of clean water have been cut off. This creates optimal conditions for rapid spread among individuals who live in these areas and have no access to clean water, soap, or water treatment. Cholera is also a readily treatable disease, but lack of health services has resulted in an unusually high mortality rate in Zimbabwe.
¶5. (U) EAC members noted that Post’s tripwires do not provide a clear dividing line between risk and serious risk. Medical and OFDA staff stressed that the role of hygiene in the transmission of cholera means that, as long as employees and American citizens have access to water which they can treat, the risk to Americans from cholera is easily mitigated. Consular staff reported that they view the breakdown in health infrastructure as a threat to the safety of Americans in Harare, but their concern focuses on trauma, more than on cholera. Both prevention and treatment protocols for cholera are simple and well understood by the community. EAC members agreed that the risk posed by cholera is not currently “serious” for these reasons. The EAC believed that, the risk would become serious, and would merit authorized departure, if members of the official community were not able to obtain water. Without adequate water, Post would be unable to control the spread of cholera to the Mission community.
¶6. (U) The EAC discussed Post’s logistics tripwires and noted that, for the time being, the Embassy has been able to ameliorate the impact of the collapse of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure. Although Post does not anticipate that the collapse will outstrip Post’s ability to cope, the EAC considers this risk particularly pertinent to the sustainability of a large USG presence and has continued to seek possible measures to make Embassy coping mechanisms more robust. (Lack of water, even without a cholera epidemic, would justify authorized departure, according to existing tripwires.) The EAC also noted that, as we have been for some time, Post is in the “Growing Potential for Drawdown” category with respect to tripwires for Police and Security Forces, Political, and Media environment as well.
---------
Responses
---------
¶7. (U) The EAC reviewed responses to the threat already carried out, including:
--Issuance of a Travel Warning. --Distribution of information on precautions against and treatment of cholera. --Scheduling of a Town Hall meeting for Embassy community at which the option of voluntary SMA authorization will be raised. --Consultation with Harare International School. --Ordering of hand sanitizer. --Closure to the public of Post’s Public Affairs Section when water is unavailable. --Revision of EAP and F-77 lists. --Request for funding for additional well drilling surveys. --Request for provision of enhanced Post medical unit facilities.
¶8. (U) Additional measures being initiated or endorsed by the EAC include:
--Procurement of additional satellite phones and repetition of messages advising employees that these phones may be requested for in-country travel.
--Drafting evacuation travel orders for all newly-arrived employees and ensuring all have valid visas for Zambia.
--Review of additional options for emergency evacuation.
--Procurement of water treatment supplies for LES employees.
--Request for funding to procure an additional water truck and hire an additional driver. (See Action Request para 10.)
--Request for consideration of funding to procure a reverse osmosis water pumping unit. (See Action Request para 11.)
¶9. (U) The EAC considered but did not endorse the following measures at this time; they will be reviewed in subsequent EACs:
--In-country travel restrictions or restrictions on TDY visitors.
--An additional Town Hall meeting for American citizens.
--Restrictions on public functions.
---------------
Action Requests
---------------
¶10. (U) Mission facilities and residences are kept supplied with water by two water trucks currently operating eight hours per day, seven days a week. Embassy employees are advised to conserve water, but there is no rationing enforced. If one of the trucks were to break down or if many more of our wells dried up, water use restrictions would have to be imposed, and authorized departure might be necessary. To reduce this risk, Post requests funds to obtain an additional water truck and hire an additional driver.
¶11. (U) Embassy employees rely on distilled water for drinking. Public utility and well water are used without treatment for all other purposes. If water supplies deteriorated severely in both quantity and quality, Post might need to rely on lakes or other poor quality water sources. This would likely trigger a request for ordered departure, depending on the severity of the situation. Procurement of a reverse osmosis water purification unit would enable Post to serve the needs of remaining staff.
DHANANI
Labels: CHOLERA, EMBASSIES, WIKILEAKS CABLES
Read more...
Tsvangirai’s great betrayal
Editor — Is it not too late in the day for MDC-T to start talking about the lifting of sanctions. After millions of Zimbabweans have been made destitute, after millions of children have been orphaned, after millions of families have been dislocated, after the economy has been made to scream?
The number of Zimbabweans that have died unnecessarily from 2001 to date is just too much. All for what? The price all Zimbabweans have paid for MDC-T’s ambitions to get into power has been too high.
Biti has just realised that he has no hope in hell of turning around the economy with sanctions still imposed on the country.
If what Tsvangirai and the MDC formations did to Zimbabweans is not treason, then someone needs to tell us what treason is. This has been the greatest betrayal of the Zimbabwean people.
It is us the ordinary Zimbabweans who have suffered and shed a million tears and not the elites. It is us ordinary Zimbabweans who have buried our loved ones who died unnecessarily because of the sanctions. What a betrayal!
Togarepi Mavhiyangwena.
Labels: CHOLERA, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, SANCTIONS, TREASON, ZDERA
Read more...
Govt happy with city’s anti-cholera drive
Herald Reporter
The Government is happy with progress achieved so far in clearing refuse dumps in residential areas and the busy Mbare Musika and bus terminus.
After a tour of Mbare and Highfield yesterday, Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo lauded city authorities for their commitment in cleaning up the city.
Minister Chombo chairs the Cabinet committee on cholera and has in recent weeks urged Harare and surrounding towns to remove garbage and avoid a recurrence of last year’s cholera outbreak that killed thousands of people.
"The city is now looking better. We want to commend the city council for a job well done more so during the holiday.
"Refuse was cleared during the weekend, genuine progress has been made so far," he said.
Minister Chombo said the Government, through its various departments, would do everything possible to help Harare regain its Sunshine City status.
"We continue to plead with ministries of Transport, Defence and Home Affairs to provide us with transport," he added.
Deputy Mayor Councillor Emmanuel Chiroto said new refuse equipment would be received within the first two weeks of January.
"Tender letters have already been dispatched and by the end of the week the council will be operating on full throttle.
"We also resolved to urgently purchase refuse bags so we can effectively collect waste," he said.
Clr Chiroto urged traders and residents to be responsible and avoid dumping litter everywhere.
"It is every resident’s duty to ensure that the city is kept clean, traders at all vending sites should make sure that their working spaces are clean.
"We want to ensure that the cholera outbreak which occurred last year does not recur."
Acting Town Clerk Dr Prosper Chonzi said the clean-up campaign was rolled to all suburbs.
"We have a huge challenge, but we are happy that Government helped with resources to effectively carry out our mandate. Various Government departments have provided tipper trucks and other forms of transport," he said.
Labels: CHOLERA
Read more...
Lusaka records reduction in cholera cases
By Margaret Mtonga
Tue 22 Dec. 2009, 14:50 CAT
File picture - a man transporting a cholera patient to a clinic
LUSAKA Province permanent secretary Stephen Bwalya has said only four cholera cases have been recorded and treated in Lusaka. Addressing the press, Bwalya said so far there was no cholera case reported in the district.
“This is a sharp contrast to the face of Lusaka in 2008. This is a major achievement for the district and a clear demonstration of the seriousness that was applied by the government and stakeholders.
The American government donated about K4.6 billion kwacha meant to work on the drainage systems and sensitization in Kanyama,” he said.
Bwalya said the K4.6 billion enabled the immediate development of resources and the subsequent donations from institutions with the real commitment of social responsibility.
“The district immediately embarked on the provision of safe water with the drilling of bore-holes. The installation of permanent taps and building of dry toilets in high risk areas,” Bwalya said.
He said by December 18, 2008 Lusaka district had recorded 205 cases of which four deaths were recorded in clinics while five were brought in dead,” Bwalya said. He said this year December 22, 2008 Lusaka district had recorded four Cholera cases that have been treated and the patients were out of danger.
“When government took into account that they had treated 4,905 patients in Lusaka as a result of Cholera in the district, government made a commitment to make every effort to improve the conditions in Lusaka in the fight to beat Cholera in Lusaka,” said Bwalya.
Labels: CHOLERA, LUSAKA
Read more...
Zimbabwe says cholera epidemic 'is gone'
by Lebo Nkatazo
30/07/2009 00:00:00
THERE are no more cholera cases in Zimbabwe, Health Minister Henry Madzorera said Tuesday. The minister also reiterated that there is no reported case of swine flu in the country.
Madzorera said the last cholera case was reported in June following months of fighting an epidemic that ravaged the country since the first case was detected in August last year.
“The cholera epidemic is finished now, it is gone … We are declaring that cholera has now ended,” Madzorera said, adding that the new power sharing government had put in place systems capable of containing a future outbreak, even in the coming rainy season.
“Most of our clinics are functioning. By the time of the rains, we will be much more prepared. We do not expect to be 100 percent okay but we expect the water situation to have improved by then.”
Madzorera, a medical doctor who had a practice in Kwekwe before becoming minister in February, said at the end of June, 98,500 cases had been reported while 4,287 deaths were confirmed.
The outbreak erupted in August as post-election violence was sweeping the country, while public services including hospitals and clinics shut down.
The diarrhoeal disease thrives in places without proper sanitary facilities. Cholera is deadly but easily preventable with clean water and proper sanitation.
The outbreak began in Chitungwiza, a dormitory town outside the Zimbabwean capital whose sewer system has been overburdened by a booming population and experiences perennial water shortages.
Cholera spread to 55 of the country's 62 districts.
The then Zanu PF government declared cholera a national emergency in December and appealed for international assistance to fight the disease when deaths from the epidemic were nearing 600.
At the time, the former Heath Minister David Parirenyatwa painted a desperate picture: “Our central hospitals are literally not functioning. Our staff is de-motivated and we need your support to ensure that they start coming to work and our health system is revived.”
Many countries and international organisations responded to the appeal and provided water treatment chemicals and drugs while the United Nations Children’s Fund chipped in with allowances for medical staff.
Since Zimbabwe's unity government formed in February, hospitals have re-opened as doctors and nurses resumed work, though conditions remain grim.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the cholera epidemic was the worst to hit Africa in 15 years and warned the disease had now entrenched itself as an endemic illness in Zimbabwe.
"Our concern is that the fundamental issues -- access to sanitation and access to clean water -- haven't been meaningfully addressed," said IFRC spokesman Matthew Cochrane.
"Cholera is now endemic in Zimbabwe, like it is in most countries in this region."
"Effort has to now be made that communities have access to basic amenities like clean water and sanitation."
On swine flu, Madzorera said an Asian man who visited the country from London tested negative and has since left the country.
He said a local athlete who had tested positive for the diseases in South Africa where he had gone for a tournament was treated and even though he was still in the neighboring country, his return to Zimbabwe posed no danger.
“We have not confirmed any swine flu cases in Zimbabwe, but our systems have been prompted to be able to respond in any likely case,” Madzorera added.
Labels: CHOLERA, COLOUR REVOLUTIONS
Read more...
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
Read more...
Lusaka DC bemoans cost of burying shallow wells
Written by Agness Changala
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 3:13:33 PM
LUSAKA District commissioner Christah Kalulu has said it has "To do this proved extremely expensive to bury the shallow wells in cholera-affected areas.
At a press briefing yesterday, Kalulu cited Chawama and Kanyama compounds, saying it needed K1.1 billion to bury the shallow wells in these areas.
effectively, we have embarked on a sensitisation exercise and we are going to tell people not to drink water from shallow wells and we will provide more taps for them," she said.
Kalulu said the committee had started carrying out a door-to-door campaign in cholera-affected areas to educate them on the dangers of drinking water from shallow wells.
Kalulu urged the people in flooded areas in the capital city not to panic.
"Waters are high, yes, but it's not a disaster level," she said. "Even at the clinics we went to this morning before this meeting, the water has seeped down."
Kalulu said the problem of floods would end once the drainage system was improved.
And Kalulu said cholera levels had continued to reduce.
"From March 20, 2009, the total number of 108 patients were under treatment in Lusaka and this is covering Matero, Kalingalinga, Kanyama, Chipata, George, UNZA [University of Zambia], UTH [University Teaching Hospital] and Lusaka Trust Hospital," she said.
Kalulu said 4,073 patients were admitted for cholera at various clinics since it broke out.
"Of those 4,073 admitted, we had 45 deaths and the deaths are unrelated to those who were brought in dead," Kalulu said. "Those who were brought in dead were 42."
Kalulu expressed happiness that the government's interventions had a positive impact on the number of cases that were being recorded.
Kalulu said the country still experienced some rainfall and advised the public to ensure that garbage was disposed of in the right places, observe hygiene practices and report any symptoms of cholera to nearest health centres.
Labels: CHOLERA, CHRISTIAH KALULU, LUSAKA
Read more...
DMMU to spend K162m on water tanks in cholera-affected areas
Written by Moses Kuwema and Constance Matongo
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 11:08:50 AM
THE Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) for Lusaka will spend K162 million on 18 new water tanks in areas affected by cholera. Chairperson for the district disaster committee Christah Kalulu disclosed this during the weekly press briefing at the DMMU offices.
Kalulu said six water tanks would be erected in Kanyama and Chawama, four in Chibolya and one in Kuku and Misisi.
She said the committee had so far managed to control the cholera situation because they had recorded relatively stable number of cholera cases.
Kalulu said they have embarked on an aggressive campaign to ensure that people in the cholera-affected areas accessed clean water.
She said in the area of health alone, the committee had spent over K500 million which was used on clearing the drainages and also on disinfectants.
Kalulu called on people to provide hygiene for their families by boiling water and disposing of waste matter in the right places.
And private school teachers in Chibolya yesterday staged a peaceful protest demanding that education minister opens the schools in the cholera-affected areas.
The teachers said they would resume work tomorrow despite the ministry of educations’ directive to have schools closed in the cholera-affected areas.
“Tomorrow, we are opening schools because we have families and private schools are not like government schools where they are entitled to salaries even when there are no school fees from the pupils,” one of the teachers complained.
Labels: CHOLERA, DMMU, UTILITIES
Read more...
Cholera
Written by Editor
It is embarrassing that a country like ours, which is not facing an economic crisis, should every rainy season be faced with the challenge of combating cholera. We all know how cholera comes about. Cholera is an infection of the small intestine caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It causes a large amount of watery diarrhoea. The toxin released by the bacteria causes increased secretion of water and chloride ions in the intestine, which can produce massive diarrhoea. Death can result, within a few hours, from the severe dehydration brought about by the diarrhoea. This is what medical experts tell us.
Cholera occurs in epidemics when conditions of poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine are present. The infection is acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water.
In simpler terms, cholera is a disease associated with unhygienic conditions.
In Zambia, the main cause of cholera is poor sanitation and in some cases crowding. This is reflected clearly when we take a closer look at the areas that are usually affected by the epidemic. We are talking about shanty compounds with poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water from shallow wells.
Today, there are over 2,000 cases of cholera in Zambia. In Lusaka there are 769 cases of cholera, 472 of which are reported in Kanyama compound alone. Those who have been to Kanyama compound will have no difficulties understanding why this is so.
There are several hundreds of people living in this shanty compound with no amenities to talk about. Very few places have got running water and flushing toilets. The drainage system does not exist and so any small downpour results in floods. These floods in return expedite the contamination of drinking water, resulting in cholera.
Yes, it can be rightly argued that where personal hygiene is strictly adhered to, cholera is absent. But this whole argument should be started with the government. The government is expected to provide certain services to its people. These include good sanitation and clean water.
We have not forgotten that UNIP and Dr Kenneth Kaunda lost power to MMD in 1991, partly because of the cholera problem. The MMD used cholera as a campaign issue. They said it was unacceptable that Zambia could be having diseases like cholera. This is how Dr Boniface Kawimbe earned himself a nickname as Mr. Cholera. Dr Kawimbe was one of the MMD leaders then who strongly used the cholera problem as a campaign issue. Over 8000 Zambians had died from cholera.
Why is it that Zambia today still experiences cholera, 17 years after the MMD came to power and promised to eradicate the disease?
It is clear that there is no political will to eradicate this embarrassing disease in our country. If there was political will to decisively deal with this matter, cholera could have been a disease of the past in Zambia. The solution to this problem is known but there is no political will to implement it. If poor sanitation is the main cause of cholera, the provision of the same through either central government or the local authority is the answer to this problem. But because there is no political will from those in authority, nothing is done to upgrade the lives of our people in these areas which are more susceptible to cholera.
Last year, the government spent more than K15 billion to unblock and create some drainage system in Kanyama Constituency. This was after many lives had been lost to cholera. And we know that the government was forced to spend that money because there was a parliamentary by-election in Kanyama at the time, which they wanted to win at all costs. However, the people of Kanyama questioned the timing of this intervention by the government. In the end, an opposition candidate won.
The point we are making is that if the government used that K15 billion to improve the drainage system in Kanyama prior to the rains, floods could have been avoided and therefore very few cases of cholera could have been reported.
Now, it appears that cholera is here to stay. Our government leaders do not seem to have an idea how to deal with this problem. They seem not to understand that prevention is better than cure. Why should the government be setting aside so many billions of kwacha to treat cholera and not prevent it by providing citizens with clean water and good sanitation?
The late president Levy Mwanawasa showed some level of commitment to eradicating cholera, which commitment seems to have died with him. Levy introduced a Make Zambia Clean and Health campaign which encouraged people to observe hygiene on one hand while on the other hand encouraged the government to lead by example through the provision of clean water and good sanitation. Under this programme, we saw Lusaka city being swept clean. But today, Lusaka is a garbage city again. How can cholera be stopped when those in authority are encouraging street vending by doing nothing to stop it? Meat and other foodstuffs are sold on the streets in the most unhygienic conditions.
A healthy man is a wealthy man. Health is usually linked to the development of any country. Where people are unhealthy, there will be no production and no development in the end.
Levy set a good example by starting a campaign for cleanliness at a household level while at the same time committing his government to providing for its people in terms of clean water and good sanitation. Under this programme, we saw some water projects being commissioned in Lusaka’s Matero township and several vehicles were bought for garbage collection. Street vendors all over the country were discouraged or completely stopped.
And these efforts paid off as we saw from cholera statistics. There was a huge drop in cholera cases and deaths.
This time, cholera cases were reported even before the onset of the rains in October. The last rainy season, Zambia experienced some floods but the cases of cholera were not as many.
If Zimbabwe is able to contain cholera, with all the problems in that country, why should Zambia fail to eradicate the disease?
There is need for our government to find a lasting solution to this cholera problem. The billions of kwacha that are misapplied or plundered by politicians and other public workers can be utilised to sink boreholes for our people or generally provide clean water and good sanitation. With political will, cholera can be fought and defeated. All efforts should be directed at preventing cholera and not treating it. It is more costly to treat than to prevent.
Labels: CHOLERA, GERRY CHANDA, UTILITIES
Read more...
Kanyama MP blames govt over cholera in his area
Written by Gloria Siwisha and Gillian Namungala
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 9:49:51 AM
KANYAMA PF member of parliament Colonel Gerry Chanda yesterday urged the government to urgently work towards improving sanitation standards as a long-term solution to combating cholera.
And Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Canicius Banda yesterday disclosed that the Zambian government had released K2 billion (US$ 400,000) to assist Zimbabwe deal with its cholera outbreak.
In an interview, Col Chanda complained that he was not satisfied with the way the government was handling the cholera outbreak in his area because intensified preparations should have been made during the dry season.
“For me its carelessness on government's part because cholera is one issue that is very easy to solve. All that is required is to improve the hygiene standards all the time. We don't have to wait for an outbreak for people to act or realise that poor sanitation has always been an issue in Kanyama. It pains me as area MP when I look at the pathetic sanitation standards,” he said.
Poor water and sanitation system has been blamed on the spread of cholera in Zambia.
However, Col Chanda expressed happiness that the Ministry of Health had managed to supply chlorine but that more was still needed if the situation was to be contained.
“The situation is better than it was last year maybe because the shallow wells were limed, but we are not completely happy that there hasn't been much collaboration with the minister. I want to see a situation where we work together with him so that long term measures are put in place,” said Col Chanda.
And Speaking during on 'Let the people talk' programme on Radio Phoenix yesterday, Dr Banda disclosed that Zambia had released K2 billion to assist Zimbabwe address cholera.
“The president [Rupiah Banda] was concerned with the cholera situation in Zimbabwe and directed a team of medical personnel who have since submitted a report resulting in the release of K2 billion,” said Dr Banda
“As I speak, officers are putting logistics and trucks to start off for Zimbabwe to assist in the crisis.”
As for Zambia, Dr Banda said out of the 769 cholera cases recorded in Lusaka, 472 were from Kanyama compound.
He said Lusaka had received 769 cholera cases from September to date.
Dr Banda observed that the cases had been recorded from settlements that were not environmentally conducive.
Dr Banda, who said cholera occurred as a result of poor sanitation and dirty drinking water, said areas without such facilities were prone to cholera.
He catalogued Chipata, Chawama and Kanyama compounds as some of the areas which were mostly hit by the disease.
He said in Northern and Luapula provinces, the ministry had not recorded any cholera cases.
Dr Banda, however said 28 deaths had so far been recorded out of the reported cholera cases.
He further stressed the need for upgrading settlements that were not environmentally conducive if cases were to be eliminated.
“The Ministry of Local Government, I am sure, is working on this to ensure that such areas have piped water, schools and clinics. Areas where these things are, there are no cases of cholera. There is need for educating the population because it's not common to hear an educated person fall sick but most of the people that are affected are uneducated.”
Dr Banda however said addressing cholera needed a multi-sectoral approach.
“A number of society departments should play their roles to ensure there is no cholera,” he said.
Dr Banda urged members of the community to get to the hospital when they see that they have cholera because the ministry had the capacity to respond to the disease.
And authorities in Mazabuka have closed four more basic schools in chief Hanjalika's area where cholera has broken out.
But St Josephs, which is located 100 metres from the cholera centre, has been spared on grounds that school authorities would be required to enforce stiff disciplinary measures for pupils going out of bounds.
Mazabuka District Education Board Secretary Darius Kaluba confirmed the development to ZANIS in Mazabuka yesterday.
Kaluba said the closure of the schools follows a fresh outbreak of the disease in Chivuna area where five villagers were admitted to the clinic which has since been turned into a cholera centre.
Labels: CHOLERA, GERRY CHANDA, UTILITIES
Read more...
Mazabuka health authorities turn clinic into cholera centre
Written by Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Monday, January 05, 2009 5:55:19 PM
HEALTH authorities in Mazabuka have with immediate effect closed Ndeke Clinic and turned it into a Cholera centre to cater for the increased cases from other townships where the disease has spread to.
This means that all medical services have been suspended except for Cholera-related cases.
The authorities have also transferred all the 22 Cholera patients who were admitted at Ndeke Basic School Cholera centre to the clinic and redeployed all the staff to the District Hospital.
Mazabuka district commissioner, Tyson Hamaamba, confirmed the development and said residents from Ndeke, Nakambala and Showgrounds seeking medical attention would now be required to get assistance from the Mazabuka District Hospital.
Acting district director of health Ellias Hamatanga informed Hamaamba that although the closure of the clinic would impact negatively on service delivery, his office had no choice but to turn Ndeke into a Cholera centre to avoid the quick spread of the disease.
Hamatanga also said his office had taken such measures to ensure that the school calendar which begins on January 12, 2009 was not disturbed.
And a check at Ndeke Basic School last evening found health workers shifting their operational tools and patients to Ndeke Clinic which had been turned into a Cholera centre.
Labels: CHOLERA, MAZABUKA DISTRICT
Read more...
Unicef airlifts cholera kits to Zimbabwe
Unicef.org
Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:12:00 +0000
UNICEF's first ever airlift of critical emergency supplies to Zimbabwe has landed in Harare, as Zimbabwe grapples with cholera.
The cargo - which includes intravenous (IV) fluids, drip equipment, essential drugs, midwifery and obstetric kits - will boost the UN Children's Fund cholera response and aid government to deliver some essential health services to expecting mothers.
"This is a strategic measure to address a desperate situation," said Unicef Acting Representative in Zimbabwe, Roeland Monasch. "We are already supplying 70 percent of the country's essential drugs, and these airlifted supplies will further boost Unicef's lifesaving support."
Supported by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and the Dutch government, the 140 metric tonne consignment provides intravenous and oral re-hydration supplies which are the first line of treatment in any management of cholera. The supplies also include essential midwifery kits for pregnant women.
"We are pleased to be helping with this effort as part of our US$15m package of support to the cholera epidemic and the wider crisis in the Zimbabwe health service," said the Head of DFID Zimbabwe, Mr Phil Evans. "Saving lives is the most immediate priority, but a fundamental solution to the deeper crisis is also needed as a matter of urgency."
More than 1100 people have already died from cholera and nearly 24 000 cases have been reported in Zimbabwe. The situation is worsened by a health crisis
characterized by the closure of major hospitals, a critical lack of drugs and equipment, and nurses and doctors not able to come to work. The combined
result is the poor management of cholera cases and serious risks to women and children during child birth.
According to Joseph Weterings, the Dutch ambassador in Zimbabwe, the Government of the Netherlands is "deeply concerned by the entrenched humanitarian crisis that has led to tremendous suffering for the people of Zimbabwe". In view of the collapse of basic social services and in particular the spread of cholera and the worsening food situation the Netherlands has allocated an additional US$11,7 million in humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe. This comes in addition to the US$15 million already made available to Zimbabwe this year.
One more plane load will arrive at midnight later today and supplies will be distributed through the over 40 cholera treatment centres across Zimbabwe
and the remaining functional health facilities.
Unicef continues to intensify relief efforts around the cholera crisis, supplying more than half a million litres of safe drinking water every day, together with 3,800 tonnes of treatment chemicals for all urban areas in Zimbabwe as well as a range of other life saving intervention during the current emergency.
Labels: CHOLERA, UNICEF
Read more...
Our unknown 3,092 cholera deaths
Julia Guercia – Opinion
Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:15:00 +0000
DISCLAIMER: This article was originally written in Portuguese. We had to seek translation services for it. Any misrepresentation of facts was not deliberate.DEAR EDITOR – The World Health Organisation has called for a doubling of efforts to combat the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe. We are all concerned about the deaths of Zimbabweans from the cholera outbreak in that country, especially because cholera is a simple disease to treat and in this day and age, people should not really be dying of this disease.
My own country, Angola has been battling with the epidemic for almost a decade now. We have not had the same exposure and hence our efforts have been kept under wraps from the international community.
As you all know Angola is a country with substantial deposits of oil and many Western countries invest in the country and quietly remit the wealth to their own countries, so Angola has been spared the media onslaught that Zimbabwe has had. This onslaught, in one hand, has been helpful for concerned donors and humanitarian agencies to come to Zimbabwe. On the other, it has been used for propaganda purposes.
Unfortunately, our people die today and the world is spared that news. I have been working with French and Portuguese small agencies to ensure the survival of my people – day in and day out. We have appealed to all the rich oil companies to help eradicate this disease but that has never happened.
Let me give you the shocking statistics, Mr. Editor.
In 1987, Angola had over 16,000 reported cases of cholera and 1,510 deaths from the disease. In 1988 alone, a year later there were 15,100 cases. Between 1997 and 2005 no one reported cholera in the country. It was kept under wraps.
Between February 2006 and May 2007, there were 82,204 reported cases of the epidemic with 3,092 cholera related deaths. The outbreak reached 16 out of 18 provinces. This year alone, the cases are already in the thousands although the official statistics are not yet out
I do not mean to diminish the extent of the crisis in Zimbabwe, but would like to highlight that my country has been left off the international radar. Angola has huge resources, is a rich country with a lot of oil revenues that could be used for the betterment of the lives of our people.
Please allow the world to see this reality that is unfolding out our countries and the politicization of the plight of people. If all the rich companies that invest in Africa were concerned about public health all of these crises that we experience today would have been a thing of the past. There should be corporate social responsibility by all these big oil and mineral companies that make huge profits, but fail to look after the populations of the countries they make the money from.
BP or British Petroleum made profits of US$17.29 billion in 2007 yet today we still have to fight hard to get NGOs and humanitarian agencies to support our efforts.
This is the story of our African continent and the plunder of its riches today.
Julia Guercia – Opinion
Portugal
Labels: ANGOLA, CHOLERA, COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, NEOCOLONIALISM
Read more...
Cholera kills 5 in Malawi, unlinked to Zim
AFP/TZG
Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:46:00 +0000
A CHOLERA outbreak in central Malawi has killed five people since the start of the rainy season, authorities said Thursday, adding that it wasn't connected with the crisis in Zimbabwe.
"So far we have recorded five deaths out of 88 cases of cholera reported as of Wednesday," said Storn Kabuluzi, director of preventive health services at the ministry of health.
Kabuluzi said all those who have died since November were from the rural town of Likuni, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the administrative capital Lilongwe.
He said the spread of cholera was exacerbated by poor sanitation.
"We hope to contain the situation with the drilling of a borehole and treating water with chlorine. The outbreak is not related to the epidemic currently gripping Zimbabwe," Kabuluzi said.
Malawi suffered its worst cholera outbreak in 2001, when 1,000 people died of the water-borne disease.
Official figures show that 65% of the 13 million Malawians have access to clean drinking water while 81.4% of households have a pit latrine.
Meanwhile the latest figures released by the U.N. indicate that cholera has now killed 1,111 people in Zimbabwe since August.
The U.N. humanitarian office says the total number of suspected cases reported in the country had risen to 20,581 by Wednesday since the start of the outbreak in August.
The new death toll figure of 1,111 reported Thursday was up from the 978 deaths reported Monday.
The World Health Organization has said the total number of cases could reach 60,000 unless the epidemic is stopped.
Cholera has spread in Zimbabwe because of the deterioration of the country's health care and water supply systems which the Government says are a result of a deliberate chemical and biological warfare against the country by Western countries who would like to see President Mugabe ousted militarily.
AFP/TZG
Labels: CHOLERA, MALAWI
Read more...
Parliament should convene urgently to tackle crises
Msekiwa Makwanya – Opinion
Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:11:00 +0000
ZIMBABWE is at that point in history where the old Quaker proverb, “It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness” is very instructive. There is no credit for describing crises without solving them or doing something practical. There many people with PhDs on the Zimbabwe crisis, we even have an organisation called Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, yet the situation is even getting out of hand. It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.
In times like these Margaret Mead, an anthropologist reminds us that, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”.
The few MDC MPs who will make it into the Government of National Unity (GNU) will make a great difference. these MPs will at least light a single candle and make a difference, rather than complain about things getting worse. It is advisable for them to join the GNU, rather than describe the situation from the side lines. It is better to light a single candle than curse the darkness. As Zimbabweans we should set aside our differences and confront our challenges together. The Zimbabwean crisis is a multi-layered crisis and requires a multitude of interventions.
The appeal to the international community for help is a step in the right direction, but a misplaced priority. Our challenges require some creativity, imagination, and initiative.
At this stage, it important for Zimbabweans to realize that it does not make much sense to ask the world to help us to deal with our crises when we are not showing any sense of urgency to convene our Parliament and set up a substantive GNU to confront these crises. Why should Zimbabweans deserve more help than the Congolese or the Sudanese when they are not showing any urgency to form a substantive government?
It is high time Parliament convened and agreed on a process to allow constitutional provisions to fast track the passing of Constitutional Amendment Number 19 into law, so that MDC leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara take up their places in the GNU and start helping in the management of the crises and save lives.
Zimbabwe is not a special case and it makes no sense to go around the world asking for help when we are not ready to set aside our differences and work together. The world does not agree on how to confront the Zimbabwe crises. We have seen this at Sadc, the AU and the UN and nothing will change unless we change our attitude and approach.
It is clear that there is no “one best way” to solve the multi-layered Zimbabwean crises which are caused by governance issues and unhelpful economic sanctions mainly by the United States and Europe.
There is no point in trying to discuss whether sanctions or governance issues are the cause of our suffering because it is like the "egg and chicken debate" - it does not end.
The point is that Zimbabweans are suffering because of both sanctions and governance issues and these should be addressed. Delaying the formation of the GNU is causing further and unnecessary harm.
The blame game will not help Zimbabwe unless either party can show that what they are doing is helping the situation.
We have to realize that Zimbabwe does not operate in a vacuum and the environment is changing fast. Sadc has strongly recommended that a GNU be formed in Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Home Affairs be co-managed by Zanu PF and the MDC-T parties. This is not thought to be the best solution, but one that has to be a chance for now.
In essence, this decision means that Zanu PF and the MDC-T have to agree on decisions and policies in this ministry like in any other ministry.
It has to be clear that what Zimbabwe needs are not handouts, but capacity to do things for ourselves.
We have our resources in terms of minerals like diamonds and gold, tourism facilities and a large Diaspora skills base and market, so the only aid we need for now is the humanitarian aid to address the urgent needs of hunger and disease.
This will work best if the political consensus that comes with the GNU is obtained. Any further delay to form the GNU will constitute culpability and complicity for whatever reason.
There is a reckless saying that, "In every struggle there are causalities." That does not exonerate those responsible and it does not mean that it is right for any person to die. We need a struggle where all Zimbabweans will be winners, a win-win outcome.
It is therefore important for the world to encourage Zimbabweans to set aside their differences and give the GNU a chance as soon as possible. Anything else will divide us and cause more suffering.
The critics of the GNU tend to wrongly compare the GNU and the Unity Accord of 1987 signed by Zanu PF and PF Zapu. It is common cause that in 1987 Zanu PF and PF Zapu became one as a party. In the GNU, the parties will remain distinct entities. I do not believe that comparing different political situations will help Zimbabwe.
In conclusion, I prefer to quote Admiral Lord Nelson on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar on October 20, 1805. He said, “…now that we have decided why it cannot be done, let us determine how it will be done”.
The Zimbabwe Diaspora Interface believes that we can do it together through consensus and non-partisanship.
[Msekiwa Makwanya is the current co-ordinator of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Interface - a Think Tank aimed at mobilizing the Diaspora to make a meaningful contribution to the development in Zimbabwe]
Labels: CHOLERA, MARGARET MEAD, MDC, NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT
Read more...
Sept. 15 agreement now drips with blood
Leonard Makombe - Opinion
Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:18:00 +0000
WHAT is wrong with Zimbabwe? Why is a political solution becoming so elusive? Why is it there is so much talk about the best way(s) forward yet we remain at the junction perpetually? Is it the leaders lack reason or the proposed solutions lack reason. Or simply put, we are cursed, so much so that the leaders have been blinded by trivialities.
Even mother nature has unleashed the deadly cholera, just to expose us further, the ominous outbreak may be a rude nudge to the leaders to once again look at the situation and take stock of what they are doing and how it is helping to assist the situation. Assist here is double edged, as it may mean contributing to the problems or making sure that they are eliminated.
As a Zimbabwean whose potential, future, past and present has been frozen in a mortal combat of the elites, I have been left wondering what will happen to the country.
In my very humble opinion, one informed by a struggle for survival, the September 15 agreement now drips with blood. I was against the manner through which the talks were held, and have argued that they should involve the ordinary Zimbabwean, but as many other people we accepted the final product with reservation. It it was a bastard, born outside the wedlock of the basic aspirations of the ordinary Zimbabwean.
Reading through th agreement, many thought there was room for input of the ordinary citizen, especially during the constitutional process as well as the formation of different bodies such as the National Economic Council, which I thought would bring the best brains together to map the way forward for the country.
However, as has been argued earlier in July, there is always a danger of giving politicians all the power to decide on our behalf. In fact what the agreement has done is to execute a coup on the masses of the country as it is now not clear what role we have to play for example if a sitting member of parliament dies or is recalled. Is it possible for us to march through Harare demanding that the agreement be implemented when we were not part of the the initial process. Celebrating the agreement, for us the poor, was like enjoying a meal in a train we did not even know the destination and why we had the meal and what will happen next.
We may have forgiven this coup, if the agreement had restored some of our basic needs, that is food and water. Maybe we would have concluded it was a necessary evil with the end justifying the means. But not at the moment. If anything, there has suddenly been a number of issues which have extended the suffering of the people whose origins directly or otherwise is on that document.
Why is it that there has been the fastest acceleration of the rate of inflation, currency devaluation and erosion of the social service in the last two months. If compared to last year, is what we are witnessing a normal development or a completely new phenomenon. Why has there been a sudden and sharp change at a time when we should have been restoring hope or witnessing a wait and see in the business sector.
A critical analysis of the situation could show a scorched earth policy which has been adopted by politicians and business. The politicians are held up in a rather silly combat as to who should have what, when and how reminiscent of robbers sharing a loot in the graveyard at the witching hours of the night.
The business on the other hand has taken the failure to agree as a sign that central control has collapsed, at least as of now, thus they are capitalising on the situation and sell orange juice for US$7 a product which costs US$2 in neighbouring countries.
These internal acts of terrorism against the people by the politicians and the business sector has brought untold suffering of the people. (We should be asking who in the top brass of the three political parties has a child attending a school in Zimbabwe or has a relative on a deathbed in a semi closed hospital) It (the terror and arrogance) has in other words eroded the hope that was laid in September.
This is not to argue that there should not have been disagreements but we are saying the manner in which they were held and the time it takes to resolve disputes was detrimental. They seem to be in no hurry as I see it. After all the negotiators and their immediate families are assured of three meals and the best health and education. That has always been my argument, how would we let those scratching their stomachs after a hearty meal address issues of 'sadza'.
Some of the issues which spilled into the public sphere, show that the agreement was hastened and issues were brought as an after thought.There is also an underlying fact that the delay in creating a government can also be traced to individual fights for personal pursuits. For most of the time the issues which are discussed are not on policy but on police. My God.
What politicians should note is that the people are not stupid and they would be shocked if they go back to their constituencies at the moment as there is voter fatigue and mere hopelessness. To cite an example given by Julius Nyerere, placing hope in the three parties is like having a village faced with famine send the able bodies to source food. The chosen ones would instead of coming with food enjoy the plenty away from the madding growls never to come back.
Apart from the scorched earth policy which has been adopted by Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC-M, there are some external factors which have compounded the Zimbabwe problems. I call it the 'scorched earth policy' as they are literally burning all the things in sight, the hope, the confidence in negotiations and the ownership of the process.
The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) for example has been caught in a web which it may not extricate itself, at least in the short term. The issue of the contradictions brought by the decisions of the troika and the main body are not anything new. There were not contradictions in what the troika recommended and what the main body recommended, but one is left wondering why take a circumspect route. Why did we have to have a troika in Swaziland, aborted, over the passport issue, then the Harare one with its disputed communique and then the Sadc Extra Ordinary Summit whose decision was also disputed? Its like a a script of a tragedy where we almost can guess what the next line is yet we cannot change anything but wait and see what will happen yet we already know what it is.
Sadc has largely let down Zimbabwe. It is an expose of the bloc, as it has to learn from its handling of the Zimbabwean issue. This is not the first time there has been contradictions in the regional body, the war in DRC a decade ago brought such contradictions and it was a learning curve.
The Troika decided to send a force while the main board was not decisive then. But on the Zimbabwean issue, it is time Sadc be decisive. Like what it said on the Extra Ordinary Summit, it is time for the regional bloc to take steps which will help Zimbabwe out of the political, social and economic problems.
In the same breath, what Botswana has been trying to do has, if anything, been contradictory. We have accusations that the MDC-T is using the country to train a force, which is denied by that country and yet the minister of foreign affairs says they are prepared to have Morgan Tsvangirai resident in the country as a leader in exile.
The minister also said they would assist in "democratic resistance". This statement, in strategic terms would give Zanu PF arsenal which, I believe, will use gladly but not for the betterment of the country but buttering of relations.
Even suggestions by Ian Khama that the country should go back to the polls are misplaced, mistimed and go against the grain of the realities on the ground. It is not too harsh to suggest that there is no political party that is willing, as of now, to go to the polls once again. A return to the polls, with the harrowing experience of the post March 29 harmonized elections still fresh, would make the whole affair another fuss.
Questions may also be raised as to what conditions should prevail before a new elections are held, whether there would be a new constitution, new electoral bodies and the issue of supervision. At this time, like was the case after March 2008, it is not necessary to hold another election.
In other words a call for another election will speed up the turmoil in the country. A cursory look at statistics will show that the slide in economic turmoil accelerated in an election year. A call for another election may be informed by a desire to sweep to power, but what lies beyond that is darkness as of now.
Actually, I support what Khama and Mohlante said this week when they said the unity government is the best way forward. The review period may be reduced, or the government may operate for a shorter period of time, say 24-30 months instead of the 60.
It is quite heartening that the past week has seen a change in the tone pertaining to the speed with which the talks should be concluded.
Arguing that these may take longer or should so that the final product is water tight are inhuman and meant to mislead us. We have respected men and a woman negotiating, and they have been doing this for quite some time. Remember Constitutional Amendment Number 19 came as a result of the hushed talks. They even have a draft constitution in the form of the Kariba Draft. Taking longer on the constitution may mean the parties would walk through more bodies on their route to corridors of power.
Ironically, all the three parties purport to be doing each action it takes in our name and we wonder, at least I do, if as a people I wish to see more of my relatives and friends dying or see the media mud-slinging.
Leonard Makombe
lmakombe@yahoo.com
Labels: CHOLERA
Read more...
Harare water supplies resume
Staff reporter
Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:29:00 +0000
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority has resumed pumping water into Harare on Tuesday, a day after supplies were shut down completely, forcing many businesses and government departments to close. Harare's Central Business District was the first to receive water, but at very low pressure. Residents in The Avenues in Harare reported that water was flowing, "but very slowly".
"We were beginning to have a crisis as toilets could not be flushed, but today we were ablt to do that as water supplies resumed," said Nyasha Katendere who spoke to the Zimbabwe Guardian.
"The situation was unbearable, but we hope the resumption of supplies is now permanent," she added.
A survey by this reporter, however, revealed that many surburbs in Harare remained dry as Zinwa was still struggling with procurement of essential chemicals needed for water purification.
Although supplies had resumed, many residents in Harare and nationwide remained desperate for water, with most of them foraging from manholes, roadside pools and open standpipes in areas that had water.
"We were lucky to get water from our neighbour who has a borehole and a swimming pool," said Chengetai Kamoto of Greendale.
"This cannot be a permanent situation. My neighbours have been very helpful, but I cannot push my luck."
Zinwa reported Monday that it was forced to stop pumping into the water reticulation system for Harare when purification chemicals ran out.
The Zimbabwe Guardian understands that ons of raw effluent were pumped into Lake Chivero, Harare's main source of water, because the treatment works had collapse. This exacerbated the problem and water could not be drawn from Chivero.
Tsungirai Shoriwa, spokesperson for Zinwa reported on Monday that some chemicals had been delivered on Monday, allowing pumping to resume later to the city centre and a few other areas.
"Other areas are expected to start accessing water as the week progresses, but it depends on the availability of chemicals," he said.
Harare City Council was the first to benefit from the resumption of supplies and workers were encouraged to report for work on Tuesday and for the rest of the week.
PARTNERSHIP IN WATER PURIFICATION EFFORTS
South Africa’s Department of Health and Social Development is involved in Zimbabwe's water purification efforts.
The department will assist the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) in water purification and sewer treatment. Te two authorities say they will target water supply and sewer reticulation, particularly where effluent is flowing into the Limpopo River, which is the main source of water for both Beitbridge and Musina residents.
South Africa entered into an agreement with the Musina Municipality to help in transporting adequate clean water to Beitbridge.
Once the water treatment starts functioning properly, the water tanks would be connected to the Zinwa purification plant through the main pipeline.
Labels: CHOLERA, HARARE, UTILITIES, WATER
Read more...
