Govt dispels cholera fears Dr Parirenyatwa
Dr Parirenyatwa

Dr Parirenyatwa

Herald Reporters
HEALTH and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa has said Government is working with private sector stakeholders to resuscitate water and sanitation systems to avoid the outbreak of water borne diseases such as cholera.
Dr Parirenyatwa was speaking in the wake of a Human Rights Watch Southern Africa report titled “Troubled Water: Burst Pipes, Contaminated Wells and Open Defecation in Zimbabwe’s Capital” which claimed Harare was at risk of another cholera outbreak. He said the only way to prevent the outbreak of such a water borne disease was to work on the sanitation system.

Despite the fact that the HRWSA report pointed to the possibility of a cholera outbreak, some media organisations, on Wednesday, claimed cholera had broken out in Zimbabwe.

“As the Government, we are committed to working with various stakeholders which have to do with water system and sanitation,” Dr Parirenyatwa said.

“We do not want a situation whereby history repeats itself like the 2008/9 cholera outbreak which saw more than 4 000 people losing their lives.

“My ministry is working in harmony with other ministries, particularly that of Environment, Water and Climate so that our people have access to safe potable water to avoid the outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera.”

The Government in conjunction with UNICEF recently announced that preparations for the implementation of a US$30 million Small Towns Water and Sanitation Programme expected to improve water supply and sewage systems in 14 towns in the country was at an advanced stage.

Unicef Zimbabwe spokesperson Mr Victor Chinyama told The Herald that his organisation was in the process of vetting contractors, finalising technical assessments and preparing individual town projects which would lead to an improved operational capacity and efficiency of piped water supply and sewage systems in the targeted towns.

He said programmes of that magnitude demanded heavy investment in the preparatory phase.
The US$30 million project which was launched in February will provide support to 14 local authorities namely Bindura, Chipinge, Chiredzi, Chivhu, Gokwe, Gwanda, Hwange, Karoi, Mutoko, Mvurwi, Plumtree, Rusape, Shurugwi and Zvishavane.

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