Cholera triggers a national emergency in Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe late Wednesday declared that the cholera epidemic – which has claimed more than 500 lives, and the breakdown of the national hospital system – a national emergency, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported. Health Minister David Parirenyatwa said there is a “critical shortage of resources” in the Zimbabwean health sector. “Our central hospitals are literally not functioning,” the Herald quoted Parirenyatwa as saying. “Our staff is de-motivated, and we need your support to ensure that they start coming to work and our health system is revived.” Doctors and nurses in Zimbabwean state hospitals have been striking on and off for the past year or more, but last month most of Harare’s main state hospitals essentially closed as medical staff walked off the job over low pay and abysmal working conditions, the paper reported. Additionally, clean drinking water is at short supply as the nation’s water and sewer systems have failed, thus exacerbating the epidemic. Parirenyatwa appealed to donors for medicine, lab chemicals, surgical materials, X-ray film, food to feed patients other materials lacking in the national health system. “The emergency appeal will help us reduce…mortality,” he said.

TAGS: Cholera, epidemic, Zimbabwe

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