2008 Zimbabwean cholera outbreak

Disease outbreak in Zimbabwe October 2013 November 2020 File:2008 Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak Combined.svg 250px The spread of cholera in Zimbabwe as of 5 February 2009, using data from several sources. International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Zimbabwe: Cholera, 3 December 2008 ReliefWeb 3 December 2008 http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fullMaps_Af.nsf/luFullMap/15C6F368A1E26ABAC1257515002A845D/$File/map.pdf?OpenElement 4 November 2008 World Health Organization World Health Organization Zimbabwe: Areas affected by cholera and anthrax outbreaks (September–November 2008) World Health Organization 12 December 2008 https://www.who.int/entity/hac/crises/zmb/appeal/zimbabwe_cholera_advocacy_1dec2008.pdf 4 December 2008 World Health Organization World Health Organization Zimbabwe: Areas affected by cholera outbreaks (September–November 2008), showing showing locations of cholera treatment units, 3 December 2008 Reuters 3 December 2008 http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/imagerepository/ZW_map_cholera.pdf 4 December 2008 August 2008 – July 2009 Zimbabwe Vibrio cholerae 4,369 98,569 The 2008 Zimbabwean cholera outbreak was an epidemic of cholera affecting much of Zimbabwe from August 2008 until June 2009. The outbreak began in Chitungwiza in Harare Metropolitan Province in August 2008, then spread throughout the country so that by December 2008, cases were being reported in all 10 provinces.Ahmed S Bardhan PK Mazumder RN Khan AI Islam MS Siddique AK Cravioto A The 2008 Cholera Epidemic in Zimbabwe: Experience of the icddr,b Team in the Field Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition October 2011 29 5 541–546 3225117 22106761 10.3329/jhpn.v29i5.8909 In December 2008, The Zimbabwean government declared the outbreak a national emergency and requested international aid.http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/04/zimbabwe.cholera.emergency/ 26 May 2016 Zimbabwe declares cholera national emergency 9 December 2008 CNN The outbreak peaked in January 2009 with 8,500 cases reported per week. Cholera cases from this outbreak were also reported in neighboring countries South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia. With the help of international agencies, the outbreak was controlled, and by July 2009, after no cases had been reported for several weeks, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Welfare declared the outbreak over. In total, 98,596 cases of cholera and 4,369 deaths were reported, making this the largest outbreak of cholera ever recorded in Zimbabwe.https://www.who.int/cholera/countries/ZimbabweCountryProfileOct2009.pdf 26 May 2016 Cholera Country Profile: Zimbabwe 31 October 2009 World Health Organization - Global Task Force on Cholera Control The large scale and severity of the outbreak has been attributed to poor sanitation, limited access to healthcare, and insufficient healthcare infrastructure throughout Zimbabwe.http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/special-report/beyond-cholera-zimbabwes-worsening-crisis 26 May 2016 Beyond Cholera: Zimbabwe's Worsening Crisis Medecins Sans Frontieres https://web.archive.org/web/20160807031713/http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/special-report/beyond-cholera-zimbabwes-worsening-crisis 7 August 2016 dead Cause 250px|thumb|left|An open drain in Kuwadzana township, Harare in 2004. By 2008 drains such as this were carrying sewage from burst sewage pipes and feces washed out of the neighbouring areas as the urban sanitation system collapsed. This contributed to the rapid spread of the cholera outbreak. The 2008 cholera outbreak was caused by widespread infection with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae which is spread through water contaminated with the feces of infected individuals. Cholera had been seen in Zimbabwe in the decade leading up to the 2008 outbreak. However, the severity of the 2008 has been attributed to a combination of societal factors including poor access to health care and poor health care infrastructure, high HIV prevalence, political instability, food shortages, high levels of displaced people, and lack of access to safe water. In 2008, Zimbabwe was suffering from an economic crisis and hyperinflation which led to shortages of food and other basic goods, disruption of public services, and a large number of refugees moving within the country and to neighboring countries.Physicians for Human Rights Health in Ruins: A Man-Made Disaster in Zimbabwe https://s3.amazonaws.com/PHR_Reports/health-in-ruins-zim-full-2009.pdf 28 February 2012 January 2009 One of the major contributing factors to the outbreak was the breakdown of the municipal water supply, sanitation, and waste collection programs throughout the country, but especially in urban areas. With this, the onset of the rainy season led to cholera-contaminated faeces being washed into water sources, in particular public drains, as well as providing readily available but contaminated water.http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/zimbabwe-feature-261108?opendocument Zimbabwe: coping with the cholera outbreak 26 November 2008 3 December 2008 6 May 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090506063438/http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/zimbabwe-feature-261108?opendocument dead Due to a shortage of purification chemicals, such as chlorine, the capital city of Harare stopped receiving piped water on 1 December 2008.http://www.zwnews.net/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19803 United Nations, Red Cross mobilize cholera relief for Zimbabwe 3 December 2008 VOA news 2008-12-03 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081208024523/http://www.zwnews.net/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19803 8 December 2008 By that date, many suburbs had not had any water supply for much longer. On 4 December 2008, the Zimbabwe deputy minister for water and infrastructural development stated that there were only sufficient treatment chemicals in stock nationally for 12 weeks supply.http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL4384569.html Zimbabwe appeals for donor help on cholera 4 December 2008 Reuters 4 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081206151851/http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL4384569.html 6 December 2008 dead The collapse of these systems was blamed on the then-current economic crisis;https://www.ft.com/content/e8d897e4-c0db-11dd-b0a8-000077b07658 Cholera death rate multiplies in Zimbabwe's economic crisis 3 December 2008 Financial Times (UK) 4 December 2008 many households cannot afford fuel to boil water. According to Médecins Sans Frontières, the spread of cholera from urban to rural areas from December 2008 onwards was due to infected city-dwellers visiting their families' rural homes for Christmas and the burial of infected city-dwellers in rural areas.Cholera moves to rural Zimbabwe http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7844417.stm 22 January 2009 BBC 22 January 2009 The 2008 cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe had an unusually high fatality rate; Oxfam attributed the high mortality to a population "seriously weakened by hunger, HIV and AIDS". A major contributing factor to the severity of the outbreak was the collapse of Zimbabwe's public health system, declared a national emergency on 4 December 2008.https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hsW9YNn1roEp0rzjeGSJo0pKcj2A https://web.archive.org/web/20081206162309/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hsW9YNn1roEp0rzjeGSJo0pKcj2A dead 6 December 2008 Zimbabwe declares cholera outbreak a national emergency 4 December 2008 AFP 4 December 2008 By the end of November 2008, three of Zimbabwe's four major hospitals had shut down, along with the Zimbabwe Medical School, and the fourth major hospital had two wards and no operating theatres working.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7714892.stm The death throes of Harare's hospitals 7 November 2008 BBC 3 December 2008http://www.radiovop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4452&Itemid=755 Zimbabwe's Medical School Closes 19 November 2008 Radio VOP 3 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081206141027/http://www.radiovop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4452&Itemid=755 6 December 2008 dead Zimbabwean hospitals still open by December 2008 lacked medicines and staff. Due to hyperinflation, hospitals were not able to buy basic drugs and medicines, and the resources of even internationally funded emergency clinics were stretched. The ongoing political and economic crisis contributed to the emigration of doctors and people with medical knowledge.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7760088.stm Zimbabwe cholera deaths near 500 2 December 2008 BBC 2 December 2008 Some victims were travelling to Botswana and other neighbouring countries for treatment.http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/01/zimbabwe.cholera/index.html?eref=rss_world Capital lacks clean water, cholera kills hundreds in Zimbabwe 1 December 2008 CNN 2 December 2008 Impact 350px|thumb|right|The spread of cholera in Zimbabwe: (top) The number of cases recorded in the most infected centres and districts, and in the remainder of each province of Zimbabwe as of 4 March 2009. (bottom) Total number of reported cases. Since totals for many districts are not updated daily, the first occurrence of a case may represent the date of the reporting of that case, not the date of infection. Data sources: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Daily Cholera Update 24 November 2008 http://ochaonline.un.org/CholeraSituation/tabid/5147/language/en-US/Default.aspx 27 January 2009 the World Health Organization,World Health Organization World Health Organization WHO Zimbabwe Cholera Epidemiological Bulletin No. 4, 3 January 2009 3 January 2009 http://ochaonline.un.org/OchaLinkClick.aspx?link=ocha&docId=1099223 15 January 2009 the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.Zimbabwe: Cholera Outbreak. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 11 November 2008 and news media,http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/africa/081203-zimbabwe-cholera Zimbabwe in collapse 3 December 2008 Radio Netherlands Worldwide 3 December 2008 https://archive.today/20081205182708/http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/africa/081203-zimbabwe-cholera 5 December 2008 deadhttp://www.zwnews.net/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19803 United Nations, Red Cross mobilize cholera relief for Zimbabwe 3 December 2008 VOA news 3 December 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081208024523/http://www.zwnews.net/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19803 8 December 2008 http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com/local/19302--doctors-saycholera-toll-now-800.html Doctors Say Cholera Toll Now 800 29 November 2008 The Standard (Zimbabwe) 10 December 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090103004902/http://www.thezimbabwestandard.com/local/19302--doctors-saycholera-toll-now-800.html 3 January 2009 Zimbabwe Humanitarian Situation Report On Cholera Outbreak, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 12 September 2008.https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/red-alert-as-cholera-crisis-spreads-to-zimbabwes-neighbours-6904495.html https://archive.today/20130114035712/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23598833-details/Red+alert+as+cholera+crisis+spreads+to+Zimbabwe's+neighbours/article.do live 14 January 2013 Red alert as cholera crisis spreads to Zimbabwe's neighbours 9 December 2009 Evening Standard (UK) 9 December 2008 The 2008 outbreak began in Chitungwiza on 20 August 2008.https://www.who.int/hac/crises/zwe/zimbabwe_cholera_epi_bulletin1_15dec2008.pdf 23 July 2016 Cholera in Zimbabwe:Epidemiological Bulletin number 1 15 December 2008 World Health Organization In September, cases spread to the urban areas of Makonde and Chinhoyi. By the end of October, cases had spread to 3 provinces: Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, and Harare city. In the first two weeks of November, the epidemic rapidly spread across Zimbabwe, appearing in a total of 9 provinces and 54 districts. The disease spread to reach all of Zimbabwe's ten provinces. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=81699 ZIMBABWE: Cholera feeds off a perfect storm 27 November 2008 IRIN 3 December 2008 The attack rate was highest in Beitbridge, Chegutu, Mudzi and Zvimba Districts (above 1,000 cases per 100,000 people or 1.0%). The number of cases reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs escalated from 30 on 1 September 2008http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/zimbabwe-harare-residents-slam-zinwa-after-fatal-cholera-outbreak/ Zimbabwe, Harare: Residents Slam ZINWA After Fatal Cholera Outbreak 8 September 2008 Sanitation Updates 10 December 2008 to 15,572 by 10 December. http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/health12.19130.html Cholera death toll tops 746 10 December 2008 New Zimbabwe.com 3 December 2008 According to the Red Cross, around 46% of reported deaths occur en route to clinics and hospitals.http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=5171&cat=1 Zimbabwe rainy season increasing cholera risk says British Red Cross 14 January 2009 Zimbabwe Journalists 15 January 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20110718155214/http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/story.php?art_id=5171&cat=1 18 July 2011 usurped The head of the British Department for International Development in Harare said that "there are probably twice as many people with cholera as turn up for treatment".Fletcher Martin 10 December 2008 Health clinics overwhelmed by cholera cases in Zimbabwe https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/africa-travel/south-africa/health-clinics-overwhelmed-by-cholera-cases-in-zimbabwe-fvjx98mjpt2 10 December 2008 The Times (UK) London The case fatality rate for the outbreak was higher than expected for such outbreaks, although it began declining by January 2009. Official estimates of fatalities have run from 484 to 800, since the outbreak in August 2008,https://www.ft.com/content/32e1d0aa-c076-11dd-9559-000077b07658 Cholera outbreak kills 484 in Zimbabwe 2 December 2008 Financial Times (UL) 2 December 2008 with an upper estimate of 3,000 from an anonymous senior official in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/3000-dead-from-cholera-in-zimbabwe-1035149.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/3000-dead-from-cholera-in-zimbabwe-1035149.html 1 May 2022 subscription 3,000 dead from cholera in Zimbabwe 26 November 2008 The Independent (UK) 3 December 2008 London Basildon Peta Fatality rates varied from 2.5% in Harare to 18% in Chitungwiza. In Harare, the crisis reached the extent that the city council offered free graves to cholera victims.http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnJOE4AT06A.html Zimbabwe says cholera epidemic may spread with rain 30 November 2008 Reuters 3 December 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081206151846/http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnJOE4AT06A.html 6 December 2008 By 7 December, Oxfam estimated 60,000 cases by the end of January 2009 and a 10% fatality rate,https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/3660739/Zimbabwes-cholera-victims-ten-times-more-likely-to-die.html Zimbabwe's cholera victims 'ten times more likely to die' 7 December 2008 Telegraph (UK) 8 December 2008 London Sebastien Berger Peta Thornycroft with UNICEF giving a similar estimate.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7769642.stm Zimbabwe 'set for cholera jump' 6 December 2008 BBC 6 December 2008 On 4 December 2008, the Zimbabwe government declared the outbreak to be a national emergency. Response Assistance after the 2008 outbreak was made available by numerous international agencies, and funding for water, sanitation and hygiene programmes, epidemic response and the provision of essential drugs came from several governments and trans-governmental organisations: Government or Agency Amount Date Government of Australia A$8,000,000 for food and emergency aid 2 December 2008http://au.christiantoday.com/article/cholera-outbreak-hits-zimbabwe-as-australia-increases-aid/4847.htm Cholera Outbreak Hits Zimbabwe as Australia Increases Aid 2 December 2008 Christian Today 2 December 2008 Government of Botswana US$300,000 3 December 2008https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJadjlc1Q5y9gtMTY8eClSFfdPoQ https://web.archive.org/web/20081206083511/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJadjlc1Q5y9gtMTY8eClSFfdPoQ dead 6 December 2008 Botswana aid to Zimbabwe not intended for Mugabe 3 December 2008 AFP 3 December 2008 Government of France €200,000 for water purification tablets and distribution pointsWater treatment equipment 4 December 2008http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files_156/zimbabwe_271/france-and-zimbabwe_2400/political-relations_6140/humanitarian-assistance-to-zimbabwe-04.12.08_12296.html Humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe 4 December 2008 France-Diplomatie 5 December 200811 December 2008http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/RMOI-7MALPB?OpenDocument&RSS20=02 Zimbabwe : la France envoie du matériel à Harare 12 December 2008 Government of France via ReliefWeb 13 December 2008 Government of Germany €1,000,000 to the Red Cross 8 December 2008http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3859806,00.html Germany Increases Aid to Zimbabwe as Cholera Death Toll Rises 9 December 2008 Deutsche Welle 14 December 2008 Government of Namibia US$165,000 of medical supplies 7 December 2008.http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=081207183939.i29ljpr7.php Namibia sends drugs worth 165,000 USD to Zimbabwe: media 7 December 2008 IC Publications / AFP 8 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081209080310/http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=081207183939.i29ljpr7.php 9 December 2008 dead Government of the Netherlands €5,000,000 for medication, drinking water and water purification tablets December 2008.http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17274&Itemid=81 More aid for Zimbabwe epidemic : media 14 December 2008 The Zimbabwean 14 December 2008 Government of South Africa Emergency food and medicine 4 December 2008http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=898728 Cabinet approves Zimbabwe food aid 4 December 2008 The Times (SA) 7 December 2008Government of SwitzerlandUS$820,000 to an emergency aid programme and logistical support for UN agencies 9 December 2008http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/feedback.html?siteSect=105&sid=10072126 Zimbabwe cholera crisis blamed on government 9 December 2008 Swissinfo 14 December 2008 Government of the United Kingdom £3,000,000 November 2008https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/3536824/Zimbabwes-cholera-epidemic-hits-10000.html Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic hits 10,000 1 December 2008 Reuters 2 December 2008 London Peta Thornycroft USAID US$6,200,000 for health, water and sanitation programmes 11 December 2008 Government of Venezuela Over 74 tons of medical supplies and drinking water 3 January 2009http://news.scotsman.com/world/Venezuela-sends-Zimbabwe-aid.4841057.jp Venezuela sends Zimbabwe aid The Scotsman 3 January 2009 3 January 2009 African Union US$100,000 11 December 2008http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ASAZ-7M8FY6?OpenDocument&RSS20=02 African Union contributes USD $100,000 to help fight cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe 11 December 2008 ReliefWeb 11 December 2008 European Commission €9,000,000 3 December 2008http://www.zwnews.net/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19804 EU gives Zim E9m for cholera 3 December 2008 News24 (SA) 3 December 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081208024528/http://www.zwnews.net/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=19804 8 December 2008 22px World Health Organization US$340,000 of medication and supplies 4 December 2008http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=081204123923.s9870k7x.php UN, aid groups step up fight against cholera in Zimbabwe AFP via Africasia 4 December 2008 4 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081206173327/http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=081204123923.s9870k7x.php 6 December 2008 dead Giving Children Hope and World Vision US$500,000 of medication 2 December 2008http://www.gchope.org/cholera-outbreak-in-zimbabwe.html Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe Giving Children Hope 2 December 2008 12 December 2008 22px International Committee of the Red Cross over 13 tons of medical supplies 4 December 2008 World Vision and Health Partners International of Canada US$4,000,000 of medication 13 January 2009http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2009/13/c7014.html World Vision, HIPC airlifts $4 million cholera medications to Zimbabwe 13 January 2009 Newswire (Canada) 15 January 2009 By 7 December 2008, UNICEF had secured international donor funding to provide sufficient water treatment chemicals for three weeks water supply for Harare and had arranged a shipment of chemical sufficient for four months supply. UNICEF distributed 360,000 litres of water per day in Harare, as well as handing out soap and buckets. Notwithstanding the contributions received, UNICEF indicated on 9 December 2008 that US$17,500,000 was needed to respond properly to the outbreak.http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/MCOI-7M8MGB?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=ACOS-635PHU Zimbabwe: Tracking the Descent 11 December 2008 ReliefWeb 12 December 2008 As of 15 December, following agreement with the Zimbabwe government, the World Health Organization was procuring medical supplies to roll out a response plan to run health centres.http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-7MD5EL?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=ACOS-635PHU Zimbabwe cholera death toll nears 1,000, UN reports 15 December 2008 United Nations News Service 16 December 2008 Spread 350px|thumb|right|Spread of cholera within southern Africa, as of 10 February 2009. Not all cases are part of the 2008–2009 Zimbabwean cholera outbreak. Key:█ Deaths recorded █ Infections recorded The 2008 cholera outbreak spread to districts in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia bordering Zimbabwe. South Africa Cholera spread to the Zimbabwean migrant worker community in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africahttp://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/4d2d97e46fa9854480cd3d665a8a49bf.htm SOUTH AFRICA-ZIMBABWE: Cholera crosses the border too 19 November 2008 IRIN via Reuters 19 November 2008 and cholera bacteria were detected in the Limpopo River on 3 December 2008. By 12 December 2008, 11 deaths and 859 infections had been recorded in South Africa,http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7MCQLR?OpenDocument&rc=1&emid=ACOS-635PHU Zimbabwe health cluster weekly bulletin No. 2 – 12 Dec 2008 12 December 2008 World Health Organization 16 December 2008 rising to 2,100 cases and 15 deaths by 14 January 2009,https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5inUrjOec8guxoAGDFfCrqaftxyMQ https://web.archive.org/web/20090205103729/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5inUrjOec8guxoAGDFfCrqaftxyMQ dead 5 February 2009 Zimbabwe cholera surges as neighbours report rising cases 15 January 2009 AFP 15 January 2009 and to 12,000 cases and 59 deaths by 10 March.AFP S.Africa cholera outbreak 'declining' The South African government set up medical facilities and drinking water supplies at the Beitbridge border posthttp://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=vn20081204051853844C776011 SA–Zim border under close watch 4 December 2008 Independent Online (South Africa) 4 December 2008 and deployed the National Outbreak Response Team and additional medical personnel to Musina.Statement by Minister of Health Barbara Hogan on the outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe and South Africa http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2008/08112711451003.htm 26 November 2008 SA Government Information Service 22 January 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090307022303/http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2008/08112711451003.htm 7 March 2009 dead Anthony Turton, a political scientist and Unit Fellow with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa, who had earlier warned of the risk of cholera in South Africa and wrote a report that recommended that the South African government increase its spending on water treatments lest a cholera outbreak occur in the country,https://www.environment.co.za/documents/water/KeynoteAddressCSIR2008.pdf Three Strategic Water Quality Challenges that Decision-Makers Need to Know About and How the CSIR Should Respond www.environment.co.za 18 November 2008 28 July 2020 was suspended for having made "inappropriate statements to the media".http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7752682.stm South Africa at risk of cholera 27 November 2008 BBC 9 December 2008 On 10 December 2008, the Limpopo Provincial Government declared Vhembe District Municipality, which borders Zimbabwe at Beitbridge, Matabeleland South province, a disaster area. On a 28 January 2009 visit to Musina with high-ranking government and ruling party officials, Health Minister Barbara Hogan said Cholera is spreading... We are beginning to see a shift from Zimbabwe to South Africa. The situation is scary... I am concerned about the impact this is having on our provinces.Cholera situation is 'scary', says Hogan 28 January 2009 The Times (South Africa) http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=926867 29 January 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20090130114144/http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=926867 30 January 2009 dead Other countries The spread of cholera to Zimbabwe's other neighbouring countries was initially slower than in South Africa, with one death recorded in Kafue District in Zambia and none in Botswana or Namibia by 9 December 2008. In 2009, cases increased, with 4,354 cases and 55 deaths reported by 10 February 2009 in Zambia and 1,596 cases and 14 deaths in Katanga, the southernmost province of the DR Congo.http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7PKQ35?OpenDocument Africa weekly emergency situation update Vol. 2, No. 8 World Health Organization 23 February 2009 ReliefWeb 28 February 2009 World Health Organization In Mozambique, cholera spread to 10 out of 11 provinces, with a total of 9,533 cases by 1 Jan to 1 Mar 2009 and 119 deaths by 17 March.AFP:12 Mozambican prisoners die after cholera riot Four health workers also died in a mob attack, blamed on "misinformation and misunderstanding in efforts to combat cholera",https://reliefweb.int/report/mozambique/mozambique-health-workers-killed-tragic-case-ignorance reliefweb Mozambique: Health workers killed in tragic case of ignorance 16 March 2009 28 July 2020 and 12 of the prisoners from the incident died in jail. In Malawi 104 deaths were recorded since January, making it the worst outbreak since 2001–02 where 960 people died.https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE52J0KJ20090320 https://web.archive.org/web/20111115171356/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE52J0KJ20090320 dead 15 November 2011 Reuters Malawi: Malawi says cholera outbreak kills 104 20 March 2009 22 March 2009 Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, DRC, and Ghana have had unrelated cholera outbreaks with between 10 and 100 deaths in 2009 as of February. Prevention After the 2008 epidemic was declared a national emergency, the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MOHCW) collaborated with several other departments, governments, and non-governmental organizations to create a Cholera Command and Control Centre. This centre works to prevent cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe by addressing broader societal factors that could contribute to cholera outbreaks, such as water sanitation and poor hygiene habits. Politicisation Because of its well-organised health care system and effective water sanitation facilities, Rita R. Colwell of the James Baker Institute says Zimbabwe was historically one of the African countries least affected by cholera. A news commentary in The Lancet said that, under President Robert Mugabe, the country's health programs were negatively impacted, resulting in diminished health care for those infected with cholera. According to a draft paper from the WHO's World Conference on Social Determinants in Health, there were fewer health workers in the villages than in urban areas, which hindered early detection and isolation of cholera cases.Intersectoral Actions in response to cholera in Zimbabwe: From emergency response to institution building https://www.who.int/sdhconference/resources/draft_background_paper23_zimbabwe.pdf World Conference on Social Determinants of Health World Health Organization 30 November 2013 19–21 October 2011 A news commentator writing for The Lancet, Andrew Meldrum, said that President Mugabe's Youth Militia threatened health professionals that provided medical treatment to political opponents.Meldrum A Zimbabwe's health-care system struggles on Lancet 371 9618 1059–60 March 2008 18380032 10.1016/s0140-6736(08)60468-7 12356996 free He said that, combined with decreasing education standards, low pay, and a shortage of medical supplies like latex gloves, this led doctors to leave Zimbabwe at an alarming rate. According to Douglas Gwatidzo, the chairman of the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights group, Zimbabwe had only one doctor assigned to a group of 12,000 citizens. Doctors in Zimbabwe fill only 25% of the medical posts available, and even fewer specialist positions are taken. According to Meldrum, this poses serious challenges to health care for diseases like HIV/AIDS and cholera. Similarly, the effects of cholera are exacerbated without proper nutrition, and Zimbabwe has faced food shortages for the last several years. Cholera and malnutrition keep children out of school – a serious social consequence of the outbreak. Rachel Pound, the director of Save the Children in Zimbabwe, said that attending school may be dangerous in Zimbabwe, instead of providing a ladder for self-improvement. She noted that "Sanitation is now so bad in schools that they may become a breeding ground for infection", rather than a place of valuable education.Kapp C Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis worsens Lancet 373 9662 447 February 2009 19205080 10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60151-3 5267332 free According to Meldrum, Zimbabwe's high inflation left the country with a lack of financial resources, resulting in a shortage of ambulances and pharmaceutical drugs. According to Eric Pruyt of the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands, this was exacerbated by a shortage of international aid, as Zimbabwe's government didn't acknowledge the epidemic and accept aid until the disease was widespread. Pruyt, Eric Cholera in Zimbabwe http://www.systemdynamics.org/conferences/2009/proceed/papers/P1357.pdf 26 July 2009 Delft University of Technology 30 November 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131020151002/http://www.systemdynamics.org/conferences/2009/proceed/papers/P1357.pdf 20 October 2013 dead It was not contained or prevented from spreading. Until 2008, the government insisted that there was no cholera in Zimbabwe, and Pruyt says the U.N. did not provide the country with safe drinking water until after the crisis started. Meldrum says that, during Zimbabwe's continuing HIV/AIDS dilemma, some major international donors did not give much money because they believed it would help President Mugabe stay in power, which they did not want. As the outbreak and health crisis grew worse, American and British leaders cited the crisis as further proof that it was, in their view, "well past time for (President) Robert Mugabe to leave"http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=vn20081207085716656C601892 Zimbabwe crashes 7 December 2008 Independent Online (South Africa) 7 December 2008 and that Zimbabwe had become a failed state.http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N11402094.htm Zimbabwe neighbors should seal borders-US official 11 December 2008 Reuters 12 December 2008 Marian Tupy of the Cato Institute said that the crisis began in 2005 when the government took over water treatment facilities but without sufficient funding to maintain purification processes. Tupy, Marian Mugabe's U.N. Helpers http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/mugabes-un-helpers?print Cato Institute 22 February 2010 30 November 2013 The transfer of water treatment from local government to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority was criticized by Innocent Nhapi of the National University of Rwanda on the basis of capacity and funding of the authority.10.2166/wp.2009.018 The water situation in Harare, Zimbabwe: A policy and management problem 2009 Nhapi Innocent Water Policy 11 2 221–235 The lack of funding for water treatment chemicals, maintenance and staff salaries was cited by Colwell of the Baker Institute as a major cause of the epidemic.Rita Colwell Oceans, Climate, and Health: Cholera as a Model of Infectious Diseases in a Changing Environment http://bakerinstitute.org/videos/civic-scientist-lecture-series-rita-colwell-oceans-climate-and-health-cholera-model-infectious-diseases-changing-environment/ 2013-10-23 James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy Rice University 26 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131026030733/http://bakerinstitute.org/videos/civic-scientist-lecture-series-rita-colwell-oceans-climate-and-health-cholera-model-infectious-diseases-changing-environment/ dead According to Colwell, before funds were diverted from the plants to other uses, there were only sixty-five cases and four deaths from cholera in Zimbabwe. According to an editorial by Daniel J Ncayiyana in the South African Medical Journal, President Mugabe blamed the U.S. and the U.K. for the cholera outbreak, saying that they sent the disease so that they have a reason to credibly remove him from the presidency.Ncayiyana DJ The Zimbabwe mayhem--how many people must die for the neighbours to act? S. Afr. Med. J. 99 1 7 January 2009 19374075 http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S0256-95742009000100001&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt One Zimbabwean citizen was shown with a sign that blamed UK Prime Minister Gordan Brown for the disease; the sign expressed the horrors of "Brown's cholera". According to a news report in Al Jazeera, the Zimbabwe government and state media blamed the outbreak on European and American sanctionshttp://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/12/2008127103521496227.html Calls mount for Mugabe to resign 7 December 2008 Al Jazeera 7 December 2008 and a Reuters report said it accused Britain of plotting an invasion under the cover of the outbreak.http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL7455762.html Britain plots Zimbabwe invasion – Mugabe spokesman 7 December 2008 Reuters 7 December 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20090110194613/http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL7455762.html 10 January 2009 dead Information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu blamed the cholera deaths on Western sanctions, saying "the cholera issue has been used to drive a wedge among us".http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Zimbabwe-Cholera-Crisis-New-Evidence-Of-Disease-Sweeping-Across-Robert-Mugabes-Country/Article/200812215175175?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_8&lid=ARTICLE_15175175_Zimbabwe_Cholera_Crisis%3A_New_Evidence_Of_Disease_Sweeping_Across_Robert_Mugabes_Country Zim Cholera 'Is Beyond Control' 9 December 2008 Sky News (UK) 10 December 2008 On 12 December, Ndlovu repeated his accusation, and claimed that the cholera outbreak was actually a "serious biological-chemical weapon" attack by the United Kingdom, which Ndlovu asserted was trying to commit genocide.http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/12/20081212112525295564.html Zimbabwe blames cholera on Britain 12 December 2008 Al Jazeera 12 December 2008 Said Ndlovu: Cholera is a calculated, racist, terrorist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power, which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country.http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/12/12/zimbabwe.mugabe/index.html Zimbabwe: Cholera is genocide by UK 12 December 2008 CNN 12 December 2008http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7780728.stm UK caused cholera, says Zimbabwe 12 December 2008 BBC 12 December 2008 In the meantime, a senior ZANU-PF official argued that the government and party leadership was more focussed on the forthcoming ZANU-PF conference than on the current crisis.http://www.iwpr.net/?p=zim&s=f&o=348282&apc_state=henh Mugabe Allies Squash Succession Rumours 4 December 2008 institute for war & peace reporting 7 December 2008 On 11 December 2008, President Robert Mugabe made a speech screened on national television in which he said: I am happy to say our doctors have been assisted by others and WHO (the World Health Organization)... so now that there is no cholera... Because of cholera, Mr Brown wants a military intervention... Bush wants military intervention because of cholera... There is no cause for war any more. The cholera cause doesn't exist any more.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5323595.ece https://archive.today/20100117032922/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5323595.ece dead 17 January 2010 Mugabe: 'There is no cholera in Zimbabwe' 11 December 2008 The Times (UK) 11 December 2008 London Martin Fletcher Reports from the WHO contradicted Mugabe's view and indicated a growing death toll. According to the WHO, as of 8 December nearly 800 people had died of cholera and more than 16,000 cases were being treated.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7777178.stm Zimbabwe cholera is over – Mugabe 11 December 2008 BBC 11 December 2008 Later that same day, Zimbabwean visas were denied to six French aid workers, including three crisis management specialists, two epidemiologists and a water treatment expert.http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/PANA-7M8EML?OpenDocument&RSS20=02 France says Zimbabwe denies visas to aid workers 11 December 2008 Reuters via ReliefWeb 11 December 2008 Britain's Africa minister, Mark Malloch-Brown, dismissed Mugabe's claim that the Zimbabwe cholera crisis is over, commenting as follows: I don't know what world he [Mugabe] is living in. There is a raging humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe as well as an economic crisis and still there is no representative government able to lead the country out of this disaster.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/dec/11/zimbabwe-cholera-robert-mugabe UK dismisses Mugabe's claim that Zimbabwe cholera crisis is over 11 December 2008 The Guardian (UK) 12 December 2008 London Mark Tran The French foreign ministry and USAID also contradicted Mugabe's statements and called on him to allow aid to reach the people in need. See also Health in Zimbabwe Water supply and sanitation in Zimbabwe Cholera outbreaks and pandemics 2018–2019 Zimbabwe cholera outbreak References 30em External links 2008 Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak Wikinews Shorts: 25 November 2008#53 die in Zimbabwe after cholera outbreak Number of Zimbabwe cholera deaths nears 500 Cholera situation in Zimbabwe – UN OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Zimbabwe https://archive.today/20121212002420/http://www.who.int/entity/csr/don/2008_12_02/en/index.html World Health Organization Alert: Cholera in Zimbabwe el World Health Organization: Daily Cholera Updates US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Notice: Cholera in Zimbabwe and Neighboring Countries https://web.archive.org/web/20090506213930/http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentCholeraZimbabwe.aspx 6 May 2009 Zimbabwe cholera crisis (Oxfam) Zimbabwe cholera crisis (Red Cross) Category:2008 disease outbreaks Category:2009 disease outbreaks Category:2008 in Zimbabwe Category:2009 in Zimbabwe 2008 Category:Disease outbreaks in Zimbabwe