KEY POINTS
- Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak has claimed six lives and spread rapidly.
- New areas, including rural and peri-urban, are now affected.
- IFRC calls for urgent action to address water and sanitation gaps.
To stop the spread of cholera throughout Zimbabwe’s provinces, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) has urged the government and interested parties to act quickly.
Red Cross urges swift intervention to stop cholera spread
According to a situational report issued last week by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has killed six people and caused 340 cases in six districts. According to the IFRC assessment, the number of cholera cases in Zimbabwe has increased to a catastrophic level, necessitating immediate action.
On December 6, 2024, Harare recorded its first case in the squatter settlement of Belvedere. As of December 19, 2024, the outbreak has spread quickly throughout Mazowe, Bindura, Kariba, Mt. Darwin, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP), Beitbridge, Chiredzi, and Hwedza. 13 fatalities and 579 cumulative cases were reported as of March 12, 2025.
The IFRC stated, “This cholera outbreak is especially concerning because it has spread to previously unaffected areas, like Hwedza and UMP, in an unprecedented manner.”
According to News day, the majority of Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreaks have historically occurred in urban areas and in areas with shoddy WASH infrastructure. But the latest outbreak has extended to peri-urban and rural areas, indicating a concerning change in the dynamics of the illness.
Cholera outbreak reaches new areas previously unaffected
This outbreak’s scope greatly beyond typical limits, and the number of cases is increasing more quickly. The high rate of transmission and the wide distribution of patients point to more serious systemic issues with public health readiness and WASH access.
Increasing strain on already overburdened health services, unpredictable water supplies, and inadequate sanitary infrastructure in recently impacted areas are all contributing concerns. Higher availability to clean water, better case management, higher disease surveillance, increased community awareness, and closer coordination between response partners and health authorities are all urgently needed in the impacted areas.
The IFRC cautioned that if prompt and consistent action is not taken, the outbreak may expand further, resulting in additional fatalities and a worsening public health emergency.
