By Dr Brighton Chireka.
London. – We have another outbreak of Cholera in Harare. Surely Cholera in Harare in 2018 is simply unacceptable.
I agree with Dr Moeti’s statement a couple of weeks ago.
“Cholera is a symbol of inequity,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. “It’s an ancient disease, which has been eliminated in many parts of the world. Every death from cholera is preventable. We have the know-how and today countries have shown that they have the will to do whatever it takes to end cholera outbreaks by 2030.“
We do not have to wait for 2030 as by then we will have all died! We should be able to prevent the spread of cholera and our response should be well coordinated , timely and effective . Failure to do that we will lose lives unnecessarily . Travel and trade will be affected as no one will want to do business with such a country.
It is common knowledge that Cholera is caused by faecal contamination of food and water and is primarily linked to insufficient access to safe water and proper sanitation. The outbreak in Harare is, therefore, indicative of the challenges that ordinary Zimbabweans face in accessing safe water and proper sanitation.
However, many factors affecting access to safe water and proper sanitation fall outside the direct control of healthcare stakeholders hence the need for multi sectoral approach.
The vital lesson to draw from this is that cholera, and indeed healthcare in general, is not the sole concern of healthcare stakeholders, but a shared responsibility. All stakeholders in Zimbabwe and the Diaspora have a critical role to play. The Diaspora is ready and waiting to be directed by those on the ground in Zimbabwe.
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