South Africa : Health Minister to assess cholera outbreak in Limpopo

By Gabi Khumalo

Mussina - Health Minister Barbara Hogan will on Tuesday lead a high-level team of senior officials to assess the cholera outbreak, which has claimed close to eight lives in certain parts of Limpopo.

The visit, which will include non-government organisations, representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and experts from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, aims to find ways to contain the spread of cholera in Limpopo and other parts of the country.

The lives, which have been claimed by cholera, are largely confined to certain parts of Limpopo much closer to Zimbabwe like Mussina and Madimbo, which have seen an increasing number of patients crossing the border from Zimbabwe.

Since the outbreak, the National Outbreak Response Team was established as part of advising and guiding the country's response to the outbreak.

The team consists of officials and communicable diseases experts from both the national and provincial Health Departments in Limpopo, representatives from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Provincial and Local Government and WHO, among others.

A temporary healthcare centre has since been established at Mussina showgrounds as part of alleviating pressure on the town's only public health facility.

The centre also provides re-hydration services to patients and only those who fail to respond to such treatment care are referred to hospitals.

During the visit, the team stationed in Mussina will first give Minister Hogan a report on the situation before she makes a tour at the Mussina show grounds.

From Mussina, the minister and her delegation, comprising Deputy Health Minister Dr Molefi Sefularo, WHO Chief representative in South Africa Dr Stella Anyangwe and Dr Licille Bloomberg of the Institute of Communicable Diseases will travel to Madimbo, about 100 kilometres away to assess the situation at the clinic, which is reported to see a large number of patients with cholera.

Briefing the media on the outbreak last month, Minister Hogan said South Africa will provide any assistance required by the WHO.

"There is a humanitarian crisis and we will not look down on people suffering in Zimbabwe, these are people who need our help and we will provide humanitarian assistance to people who are sick," the minister said.

She also stressed that government's assistance in the Zimbabwe cholera outbreak will not put a burden on South Africa's health system. - BuaNews