About 50 000 diarrhoea cases and 30 deaths have been reported throughout Zimbabwe since the beginning of 2016, the country’s ministry of health and child care has revealed.
The ministry said up to the end of February 2016, 48 843 cases and 30 deaths has been recorded.
According to government, 10 6004 diarrhoea cases and 8 deaths were reported last week and of the reported cases 4 864 and 4 deaths were of people under the age of five.
Director of Epideminology in the ministry, Dr Portia Manangazira, also said on Friday that 312 new cases of suspected typhoid were reported last week, with one death having been reported.
The revelation comes just one month after reports indicated that a deadly outbreak of typhoid fever had hit the country’s capital, Harare.
Deaths were reported from Mutare and Buhera districts both in Manicaland province, Masvingo district, Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo and Harare Central Hospital.
The provinces which reported the highest number of diarrhoea cases are Manicaland (1 660) and Mashonaland West (1 540).
According to government, clinical dysentery cases reported last week were 5 498 and six deaths.
Of the reported cases, 279 were from the under five years of age with Masvingo having the highest (256) number of dysentery cases and Manicaland with 192.
According to a report by the International Business Times, six cases of the disease had been reported by the end of January, with many more being expected.
Typhoid, which is spread through poor water and sanitation, has plagued the southern African nation for years and has shown little sign of being stemmed.
The spread of the disease has also been reported to be exacerbated through the preparation and selling of food in undesirable and unsanitary conditions.
Close to half a million deaths occurred in Zimbabwe in 2012 due to diarrhoea, according to All Africa, a large number of which were children under the age of 5.
