As the second term for schools begins amid spiking cholera cases in the country, parents of learners in Manicaland schools have urged the institutions to step up their cholera prevention measures so as to circumvent cholera outbreak from wreaking havoc in schools.
Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa (pictured) last week told a post-Cabinet media briefing that so far, Manicaland has recorded 27.4 percent of the country’s suspected cases of cholera.
As of 29 April, Mutsvangwa said the country had recorded 588 suspected cases of cholera, with 161 of them in Manicaland.
Five people have succumbed to the infectious disease since the outbreak started in February 2023.
Speaking to BustopTV, a parent of a learner at one of the schools in Manicaland expressed worrisome concerns over the rising cases of cholera in the country, saying schools are prone to become hotspots of the outbreak if prevention measures are not adhered to.
“All schools should make sure that cholera prevention measures are being followed because school children have a tendency of taking things for granted until they become a reality,” Memory Makenyengu said.
Another parent, David Mangoma, said: “I heard that schools had put in place measures to prevent an outbreak and I commend that. But I would like to encourage all school leaders to keep on monitoring the provision of safe clean drinking water and sanitation, lest our children will succumb to the disease.”
Manicaland’s Provincial Education Director, Edward Shumba told Manica Post that the health of all students should be prioritized.
“We are making sure that a cholera outbreak does not wreak havoc in our schools and therefore measures must be put in place.
“This includes ensuring that there is clean water as well as maintaining high levels of hygiene in our institutions,” said Shumba.
Due to its proximity to neighbouring Mozambique which is facing its worst cholera outbreak in a long time, Chipinge, Chimanimani, Buhera and Mutare Districts are among the country’s 17 cholera hotspots that were identified by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in April.
Cholera is an acute infection often spread through contaminated water and food with the bacterium vibrio cholerae and can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration.
