Govt steps up health emergency preparedness Dr Parirenyatwa
Dr Parirenyatwa

Dr Parirenyatwa

Paidamoyo Chipunza  and Nyemudzai Kakore
GOVERNMENT is anticipating an increase in cases of diarrhoeal diseases during the rainy season and has set up a national emergency preparedness centre, Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa has said. Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday Minister Parirenyatwa said the centre, set up as Government anticipates diarrhoeal diseases due to poor water and sanitation in urban centres, would be manned by experts in that field.

He said the experts would respond timely to any outbreak.

He said similar provincial centres would be set up throughout the country.

“This centre will be manned by people who are technical in the area and will be headed by the ministry with input from all stakeholders,” he said.

This comes against the background that nearly 500 people have died of either dysentery, typhoid or common diarrhoea since the beginning of the year while half a million others have been treated during the same period.

A similar command centre was set up by stakeholders at the WHO facilities in Harare during the 2008/9 cholera outbreak that claimed more than 4 000 people.

Between January and April this year, six cases of cholera were also recorded.

Minister Parirenyatwa said with the onset of the rainy season, a lot of diseases are likely to worsen particularly diarrhoeal.

“As we go towards the rainy season a lot of things happen especially diarrhoea. We need to be prepared and come up with a strategy for the country to fight these diseases,” he said.

He said Government would also make use of the weekly disease surveillance reports to pick up emergencies for any outbreaks.

The minister said key health workers, including village health workers, would also be trained in integrated disease surveillance and response to ensure proper management of reported case.

He said Government would also update guidelines on diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid to educate health workers on management of outbreaks.

Minister Parirenyatwa said therota virus vaccine would be rolled out starting January next year when it would be available.

“We would have wanted it to start now but the vaccine will only be available in January,” he said.

Other measures put in place include awareness campaigns on importance of hygiene to combat diarrhoeal diseases such as hand washing, boiling water from any source before consumption, discouraging open defaecation among others.

“We are all aware of the fact that there are issues of hygiene, water and sanitation, provision of safe adequate water, timely refuse collection in our cities. Enforcement of local authority by-laws are of great importance if we are to avert these huge diarrhoeal cases,” Minister Parirenyatwa said.

Speaking at the same occasion  Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Paul Chimedza said the ministry was well prepared for any outbreak.

“We are ready in the ministry to deal with any emergency if the need arises. In the military, we say you prepare for war in times of peace. We do not want to loose lives in any outbreaks,” he said.

The director of Health Services in the City of Harare Dr Stanley Mungofa said the city was aware of all the problems bedevilling provision of adequate water and sanitation.

He said some of the problems were being addressed through the US$144 million grant availed by China.

Recently, a human rights group issued a warning for a possible cholera outbreak in the country saying the same conditions that led to the 2008-2009 cholera outbreak persisted.

“The risk of another cholera outbreak in Harare is significant and the number of people sick from lack of access to potable water and sanitation is startling,” reads part of the report.

The Human Rights Watch recommends that Government should invest in low cost sanitary technologies, water saving initiatives like water harvesting, regular refuse collection and availing of information regularly to residents.

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