The death toll from the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe is approaching 3 000 and within reach of the worst-case scenario of 60 000 cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.
The outbreak, which started in August, has killed 2 971 people and infected 56 123 others, according to the latest figures gathered by the WHO released on Tuesday.
The previous count issued on Friday recorded 2 773 deaths with more than 50 000 cases of infection, and the WHO said it expected the waterborne disease to advance further.
”It’s one of the worst and largest outbreaks of cholera,” WHO spokesperson Fadela Chaib said.
”The situation of cholera is not under control, it’s even out of control, and it will remain so for the near future.
”We’re seeing the worst-case scenario of 60 000 within reach,” she added.
The numbers are expected to grow with the onset of the rainy season in Zimbabwe.
The United Nations’s health agency estimates that about half of Zimbabwe’s population of about 12-million are at risk from cholera because of poor living conditions.
The worst-case scenario for health experts involves 1% of a vulnerable population being infected, in Zimbabwe’s case about 60 000 people, Chaib explained.
‘New chapter’
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe voiced hope on Tuesday of a ”new chapter” in Zimbabwe after a regional summit on a long-stalled unity government, but the opposition said the proposals were below its expectations.
”We hope that this will open a up a new chapter in our political relations in the country and in structures of government,” Mugabe said in Harare after arriving from the emergency summit held in Pretoria.
The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) gave Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai until mid-February to form a unity government, but did not spell out what steps it would take if they did not meet the deadline.
”The prime minister and the deputy prime ministers shall be sworn in by February 11,” SADC said after the marathon meeting, which wound up early on Tuesday.
”The ministers and deputy ministers shall be sworn in on February 13, which will conclude the process of the formation of the inclusive government,” it said.
Despite serious reservations by the Movement of Democratic Change (MDC), Mugabe appeared to take the proposals as a done deal.
”We agreed that an inclusive government should be formed. Dates have been stipulated for the various acts … starting with swearing in of the top people, the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and ministers,” the 84-year-old leader said.
Mugabe and MDC chief Morgan Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal in September after the ruling party lost legislative elections for the first time since independence from Britain in 1990, but disagreements over the allocation of key ministries have stalled the formation of a unity government.
The MDC, meanwhile, appeared far from convinced that it would accept the fresh SADC proposals saying they fell ”far short of our expectations”.
”That was a tentative proposal that was given by SADC. The ultimate and final decision would have to be made by the party’s national council on Friday,” MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said. — Sapa-AFP