Kelsey McGalliard
1/30/2009
10:00
A cholera epidemic has already afflicted more than 60,000 people in Zimbabwe and is now spreading in the rural heartland, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The deadliest cholera outbreak in Africa in 15 years with 1,493 new cases including 69 deaths reported in the past 24 hours alone. So far it has killed 3,161 Zimbabweans since August. Cholera spreads through contaminated food and water and can cause severe dehydration and death without proper treatment. While cholera is normally both preventable and treatable the economic and political crisis that is going on in Zimbabwe has caused the near collapse of health services. Some 5.2 percent of patients catching cholera in the country are now dying. Two of every three deaths are recorded outside of the country's 270 cholera treatment centers, which mean that most victims die at home, mainly from dehydration. Elisabeth Byrs of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that no contributions have yet been received for a $567 million appeal for Zimbabwe this year. "The humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe is acute and worsening," she told Reuters. "Aid is more necessary than ever. This is a critical moment."
Reading this really upset me. This epidemic is seen as both preventable and treatable but there seems to be no effort to help these people whom are dying everyday. There are way to many deaths that should have never occurred. The idea that there are 1,493 new cases and 69 deaths in the past 24 hours is terrible. I hope that the UN and the AU along with the World Health Organization to solve this problem.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKTRE50T3A420090130?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0
1 comment:
The cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe is a distressing situation for that country and its citizens; however, it seems to be indicative of problems on a larger scale. Cholera is largely preventable and treatable, requiring only the means to supply the population with clean water and medications. That such basic supplies are widely unavailable is an alert as to the likely unreliability of Zimbabwe's government. Though the problem of the cholera epidemic must be addressed promptly (so as to avoid the deaths of thousands), it will require much more to bring the stability to the nation. Until then, issues like this one will continue to ravage Zimbabwe's people.
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