Zimbabwe reports over 12,000 diarrhoea cases in one week amidst water crisis
More than 12,000 people in Zimbabwe suffered from diarrhoea in just one week, with 12 people losing their lives.
Nearly 3,000 of those who fell sick were children under five, according to local reports.
The country's Health Ministry says most of the deaths happened in the capital, Harare. Six people died at Sally Mugabe Hospital, and one at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
The other five deaths were recorded in different parts of the country.
Many Zimbabweans do not have clean running water in their homes. Broken pipes leak sewage into wells and boreholes, which people rely on for drinking water. This has led to repeated outbreaks of waterborne diseases like diarrhoea and cholera.
The worst-affected areas last week were Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces, which together reported more than 2,800 cases.
In the same week, Zimbabwe recorded 1,138 malaria cases and four deaths. Guruve, a district in the north, was hit the hardest, with 639 cases and one death.
Health officials are monitoring the situation, but until the water and sanitation crisis is fixed, outbreaks of diarrhoea, cholera, and other diseases are likely to continue.
