[2008 November 21]
By: Theophilous Chiviru
As the world puts more focus on the political stalemate between ZANU PF and the MDC, a new humanitarian crisis has hit Zimbabwe. A cholera epidemic has flared up in some parts of the country, including the capital city Harare, as a result of the collapse of water and sewage services, worsened by uncollected refuse and the beginning of the rainy season. The last cholera outbreak in the country was reported in 2005, although no considerable deaths were recorded as measures to contain the disease were quickly put in place.
Zimbabwe is experiencing a severe economic crisis and has the world's highest inflation rate, at 230 million percent. This economic melt-down has seen institutions collapse and social services dwindle to nothing with street corners turning into rubbish dumps. The result is that residents live in a heavily polluted and unhealthy environment. In addition, the country has experienced erratic and polluted water supplies due to lack of foreign currency to purchase chemicals to treat the water and to replace service equipment.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) was given the authority to administer the country’s water supply by the Zimbabwean Parliament in 2007. Previously the water department was under the supervision of the Harare City Council. The department has since been unable to raise the required foreign currency for the procurement of chemicals for water purification and the repair of water pumps, many of which have lain idle. As a result, ZINWA has failed to provide clean water to the country for the past three years.
Residents have resorted to sourcing water from unprotected shallow wells. In Budiriro, a high density suburb in Harare which is one of the worst hit areas, there are a total of 5000 wells but only 300 of them have been disinfected. In other areas, persistent sewer pipe bursts result in untreated affluent flooding the residential areas thereby exposing residents to cholera. Residents are also exposed to cholera via food. The informal food sector has become popular with many people as food bought on the street is less expensive than food bought in main stream stores.
Most of the food sold in the informal sector is exposed to cholera contamination as it is washed in unclean water and sold on street corners. This has exacerbated the spread of cholera and health authorities are urging people to stay away from such sources of food.
This health crisis is slowly encroaching into South Africa’s Limpopo province with reports that the town has received and treated Zimbabweans with cholera. The Health sector in Zimbabwe has been greatly hit by a brain-drain, with most experts migrating to neighbouring countries and those that have remained entering into private practice, in order to make a living wage while simultaneously pricing themselves above the reach of the ordinary person. Doctors, nurses and support staff in the country have downed tools in protest against the total collapse of the health delivery system. The strike action comes amid the failure of the government to contain the spread of cholera. This has left humanitarian organisations severely stretched as they have had to take over the government’s responsibility and, provide drugs and safe water to mitigate the outbreak.
Zimbabwe's healthcare system is on its knees because of under funding and neglect by the government, which has resulted in two of the country’s major hospitals closing down. The powersharing deal signed by President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on September. 15 was meant to usher in a government of national unity. If implemented in a timely manner, this could have enabled some reconstruction of state systems and the restoration of the provision of social services. However, the stalemate between the two main political parties has meant the further collapse of social services and allowed for the continued deterioration of the
lives of the Zimbabwean people.
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