The Citizen (Gauteng)

More cholera deaths in Zim

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Harare – The death toll in Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak has risen to 28, state media said yesterday, as the health minister announced new antibiotic­s were being used after the disease strain was found to be resistant to some drugs.

The cholera outbreak, first detected in a township outside the capital Harare earlier this month, prompted the government to declare an emergency in the city after at least 3 000 cases were reported.

“Although I cannot say we have contained the disease as yet, we are moving swiftly in all provinces of the country,” Health Minister Obadiah Moyo told the stateowned Sunday Mail.

“We have moved into the second line of antibiotic­s, which is azithromyc­in, after the first line of antibiotic­s – ciprofloxa­cin and ceftriaxon­e – have become resistant to the disease.”

Moyo said rubbish dumps would be cleared from high-risk areas of Harare, sewer pipes would be repaired and street food vendors had been ordered to halt work.

Authoritie­s have banned public gatherings in the city as a health measure, forcing the opposition MDC party to call off a major rally on Saturday.

Newly-appointed Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube last week launched a crowd-funding effort to raise money to fight the outbreak, publicisin­g bank details on Twitter and appealing for donations.

Cholera outbreaks have occurred regularly in Zimbabwe as authoritie­s struggle to provide potable water and sanitation facilities.

The cash-strapped country suffered its worst cholera outbreak in 2008. –

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