The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has identified funeral gatherings as potential “super-spreaders” of the cholera pandemic that has claimed 71 lives in Zimbabwe to date.
The country has been battling the outbreak since February 2023.
In a social media announcement via their official account, the MoHCC stated:
“The MoHCC has observed that funeral gatherings are acting as super-spreaders of cholera in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the Ministry advises all members of the public to report all deaths in the community. Furthermore, all burials, especially those related to diarrheal causes (whether confirmed cholera or not), should be supervised by health workers. Eating at burials should be limited.”
As of January 18, Zimbabwe has recorded 19,090 suspected cholera cases, 2,231 confirmed cases, 18,340 recoveries, 71 confirmed deaths, and 340 suspected deaths.
The alarming rise in cholera cases in Zimbabwe and several other Southern African countries prompted the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to raise concerns. In a recent report, UNICEF stressed the need for a heightened focus on child protection against the pandemic:
“The outbreak has rapidly gained momentum in the region, placing a significant strain on healthcare systems and exposing vulnerabilities in sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities, along with overcrowded living conditions prevalent in many urban areas, exacerbate the risk of transmission.”
UNICEF, in collaboration with government agencies and community members, is actively providing lifesaving supplies for prevention and treatment.
They are also focusing on promoting hygiene practices, improving water and sanitation infrastructure, and ensuring families have access to the necessary information and resources to protect their children.
