Power outages could worsen diarrhea outbreak

Harare has only 20% of water it needs daily

Zim Now Writer

With a red flag alert to cholera already in place, following an upsurge in diarrhea cases, Harare could soon be in crisis mode after the City of Harare announced the current load-shedding being experienced in the country has affected the scheduled water rationing.

“The City of Harare wishes to advise all the residents and other stakeholders that the incessant power cuts have affected the scheduled water rationing scheme.

“Some parts of the city which receive water through a series of pumping will be greatly affected. Any inconveniences caused are sincerely regretted” tweeted the council.

City health officials have recently warned that diarrhea has become a cause of concern with up to 270 reported cases weekly from late October to late November.

“We urge the general public to be on high alert because currently there is a cholera outbreak in Malawi and Mozambique, and if we do not manage this properly, we will be affected,” said Harare City council director of health services Dr Prosper Chonzi.

https://zimbabwenow.co.zw/articles/1357/harare-on-cholera-alert-as-diarrhoea-cases-spike

Harare City has been struggling to provide safe and clean water and in the tweet, the council said those who receive water through pumping will be affected.

The water situation in Harare is largely the same as in 2008, when Zimbabwe experienced the most devastating cholera outbreak in Africa in 15 years. The outbreak killed 4,200 people and infected at least 100,000.

Currently, Harare’s greater metropolitan area has about 4.5 million people and the majority in high density suburbs have limited access to clean water and are at risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.