By Staff Reporter
In Hurungwe district, Mashonaland West province, 35 children tragically died within a month from suspected measles and mumps.
These children belonged to families affiliated with the Apostolic sect.
Some apostolic sects prohibit their members from seeking medical assistance as they believe in religious rituals to heal the sick.
Information ministry Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana said the Control Services Unit (CPU) officials have been sent to Hurungwe to assist and engage the community leadership..
“The CPU is seized with the death of 35 children who have died in a space of a month from suspected measles and mumps.
“The children are from one of the apostolic religious sects. The tragic deaths came to light when a member of the church brought four of his children to Karoi Hospital with two showing signs of measles and the other two having mumps,” Mangwana said.
The affected wards and villages are Ward 4, 22 and Nyama Village 5 of Hurungwe RDC. 16 of the children who died were from only four families.
“Some of the children who died were recorded from the Nduna household which lost seven children, Magara five children and Matashu, Chikonamombe, as well as the Kaitano family which lost two children each.
“A CPU team has been dispatched to the shrine to engage the leadership,” added Mangwana.
