THE GOVERNMENT says common diarrhoea has claimed 603 lives since the beginning of this year and 18 of the deaths occurred in one week.
FELUNA NLEYA STAFF REPORTER
According to the latest disease surveillance report from the Health and Child Care ministry, five deaths were of children below five years.
“The total diarrhoea cases reported this week (last week of August) are 8 877 cases and 18 deaths. Of the reported cases, 5 256 and five deaths were from the under-five years of age,” the report said.
“The deaths were reported from Mutare district with (two), Chikomba district (three), Goromonzi district (one), Mudzi district (four), Mangwe district (two), Masvingo district (one), Harare Central Hospital (two), United Bulawayo Hospitals (one) and Mpilo Central Hospital (two).”
The provinces which reported the highest number of diarrhoea cases are Mashonaland West with 1 211 and Mashonaland Central with 1 201.
“The cumulative figure for diarrhoea cases is 376 533 and 603 deaths,” the report said.
Meanwhile the ministry has recorded at least 600 malaria deaths since the beginning of the year.
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“The cumulative figure for malaria is 471 966 cases and 600 deaths,” the report said. “A total of 1 485 malaria cases and four deaths were reported this week. Of the cases reported 322 and two deaths were of the under age of five years.”
The deaths were reported from Chimanimani district with two, Mazowe (one) and Mutoko with (one). The provinces which reported the highest number of malaria cases were Mashonaland Central with 469 and Manicaland with 439.
The report recorded two confirmed and three suspected typhoid cases. All the cases reported were from Harare Central Hospital.
“The cumulative figure for typhoid is 388 suspected cases, 57 confirmed cases and nine deaths since the beginning of the years,” the report states.
The rising cases of typhoid and diarrhoea have largely been attributed to critical shortage of water in various cities and towns as well as unhygienic living conditions.
