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Mabvuku residents carry buckets of water fetched from a nearby borehole yesterday as their taps are dry. — (Picture by Ruvimbo Chakanyuka)

David Shumba Herald Reporter
At least 53 people were treated for diarrhoea and discharged at clinics in Mabvuku over the past week, but city officials have allayed fears of an outbreak of the disease. Harare City Council health director Dr Prosper Chonzi confirmed the cases yesterday and said more affected residents were seeking help from clinics.

“We are in fear of the rapid increase of diarrhoea cases in Mabvuku and Caledonia Clinic is recording an alarmingly increasing number of patients being treated for the disease,” Dr Chonzi said.

Caledonia Clinic caters mainly for people who were settled at a camp in the area who are living in squalor. Dr Chonzi dismissed figures by the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) which claimed that about 900 people had been affected by diarrhoea in the suburb since last week.

In a statement released yesterday, CHRA said about 530 people were discharged after undergoing treatment for diarrhoea at Mabvuku Polyclinic, while 372 others were attended at Mabvuku Satellite Clinic.

According to CHRA, people from Mbera, Runde and Hunyani Streets were mostly affected by the outbreak.
“A quick survey conducted revealed that the outbreak emanates from the inefficient supply of clean water and the use of unprotected water sources by residents,” said CHRA.

Residents interviewed by The Herald yesterday said cases of diarrhoea were increasing since last week.
The residents suspect that the outbreak was caused by municipal water whose supplies resumed only last week after a long time. The residents said intermittent water supplies in the area forced them to dig wells as alternatives to tap water.

Some residents said they were using aqua tablets and other water treatment chemicals to ensure their drinking water is safe.
Mabvuku traditionally suffers from erratic water supplies.