AFRICA ( Commonwealth Union) _ A cholera outbreak in the Hammanskraal township near South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, has claimed the lives of at least 17 people, according to authorities. The number of fatalities has risen from an initial report of 10 earlier in the week. There have been 29 laboratory-confirmed cholera cases, and 67 individuals have been admitted to healthcare facilities for gastrointestinal infections.
The exact source of the outbreak has yet to be determined, but poor wastewater management and instability in the local government of Pretoria have been cited as contributing factors.
The City of Tshwane Municipality, which includes Pretoria and its surroundings, has experienced several changes in mayoral leadership since the ruling African National Congress party lost control in local government elections in 2016. The water plant responsible for wastewater management in Pretoria requires urgent upgrades estimated to cost $130 million and has not been functioning properly for years, according to the city’s mayor.
South Africa joins neighboring Zimbabwe and Malawi as southern African nations facing cholera outbreaks this year. The World Health Organization reported a significant rise in cholera cases in Africa in February, with at least 12 African countries reporting outbreaks. Zimbabwe has confirmed nine recent cholera deaths and recorded 1,404 suspected cases, while Malawi has experienced its worst cholera outbreak in 20 years, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and more than 36,000 cases.
Cholera is a water-borne disease transmitted through contaminated food or water. Although highly virulent, it can be effectively treated once diagnosed. The NGO Gift of the Givers has provided sealed water bottles to the local hospital and clinics in the Hammanskraal community for patient care.
In Zimbabwe, where cholera outbreaks have occurred in the past, the capital city of Harare is currently a focal point of the outbreak. Residents in some suburbs have been without tap water for months, leading them to use contaminated shallow wells and boreholes due to sewage leaks from burst pipes.
The cholera outbreaks in Africa are attributed to local sanitation issues, as well as climatic factors such as cyclones and floods that have affected parts of southern Africa. Additionally, there is a global shortage of cholera vaccines.
