AfricaNews Monitoring desk Photo: ROHR Zimbabwe
About 1,937 people are said to be death and a total of 38,334 have contracted cholera in Zimbabwe following the epidemic in that country, according to the WHO. A cholera update dated January 11 showed an increase of 25 deaths and 541 cases compared to an increase of 12 deaths and 300 cases the previous day.
The epidemic is adding to the humanitarian crisis in the country, where President Robert Mugabe and the opposition are deadlocked over a power-sharing deal and the veteran leader is resisting Western calls to step down, according to Reuters.
The waterborne disease, which causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration, has spread to all of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces because of the collapse of health and sanitation systems. The WHO said 89 percent of the country's 62 districts are affected.
Zimbabwe's government has warned that the epidemic could get worse as the rainy season develops.
The rainy season peaks in January or February and ends in late March. Floods, which can affect Zimbabwe's low-lying areas, may increase the spread of the disease.
Cholera has spread to Zimbabwe's neighbours with at least 13 deaths and 1,419 cases in South Africa. Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia have also reported cholera cases.
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