Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe

Pharmaceuticals Sent to Zimbabwe

With the partnership of the Orange Rotary, GCHope sent a shipment of pharmaceuticals to Zimbabwe on Jan. 29.

2010.02.08 by GCHope

Interview with GCHope Zimbabwe Partner, GAIN

Jenise Steverding of Giving Children Hope sits to talk with Scott from GAIN about the current cholera outbreak crisis in Zimbabwe. GCHope partnered with Global Aid Network (GAIN) to send cholera-fighting medicines.

2009.04.20 by Harmony Trevino

Update from Our Partners

Here is an update from our partners on the ground, Celebration Church, who have been fighting to stop the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe:

Relief to Manicaland Province

News reached Celebration Health towards the end of December 2008 of an outbreak of cholera in Mutare, Zimbabwe’s third largest city. Upon receiving the news, a team of doctors and nurses was sent to look into the situation. They met first with Pastor Wilson Katumba, the Celebration Church pastor there. They found that Mutare had no CTC and that the Infectious Disease Hospital was not admitting cholera patients because they reportedly had no equipment to set up a cholera treatment facility. There was therefore an urgent need to get equipment to set up a CTC and also conduct more training for community health education. Celebration Church Mutare members have attended a training session and will be key in providing education. Inroads have also been made into Chipinge where there is a need to help the overstretched health workers there in providing cholera treatment, care and education.

Waging the War at the Outbreak’s Epicenter

The cholera outbreak was first reported in the high density suburb of Budiriro in Harare in October 2008. Most city health workers (including doctors and nurses) were on strike due to poor working conditions and very low remuneration. As Celebration Health, we managed to secure a donation to pay them allowances, provide groceries and meals in order for them to return to work. We particularly catered for those at Budiriro Clinic and Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital (BRIDH) — the two cholera treatment camps. There are still efforts being made to contain the cholera outbreak in the area, with the main thrust being towards massive community education and awareness campaigns carried out by our teams, which have spread their wings to other suburbs such as Glen Norah, Glen View, Mbare and Highfield where there is a high risk of cholera outbreak due to poor sanitation and lack of safe water supply.

Crisis in Chegutu Averted

Celebration Health has been able to support the setting up a cholera treatment camp (CTC) in Chegutu, approximately 100km away from the capital city, Harare. The outbreak in Chegutu was caused by sewage filtering into and contaminating the water supply of the high density area due to
low water pressure and vandalized, burst pipes.

At the local hospital, only 3 nurses were reporting for duty yet over 300 patients had been admitted and the average daily case fatality rate was 10. The Celebration Health team was mobilized and deployed quickly, armed with medical supplies from Celebration Health and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. On arrival in Chegutu on 12 December 2008, the team, led by Drs Andrew Reid, Jabulani Nyenwa and Kuda Katurura, was met by patients who were severely dehydrated, with some lying in their own diarrhoea, and the smell of decaying bodies, cholera stool and chlorine all mixed together. The sight was almost overwhelming but the team remained focused. Starting work at midnight, they worked tirelessly all night, administering 1200 litres of fluid (Ringers Lactate) in 7 hours to the nearly 200 patients on site.

The immediate impact of this intervention was seen and felt as the fatality rate dropped from 10 to 1 within the first 24 hours. The team also helped to put in place administrative systems and structures so that the relief efforts could be sustained. A good working relationship was established with other partners and NGOs that later came into the area. Our teams continued to oversee the work in
the CTC even over the Christmas period, to date.

The need is great, but so is the potential!

If you are reading this, then there is something you can do to help us. Nothing is too big or too small. Celebration Health is fast heading to being the largest local implementer of cholera treatment and care in Zimbabwe. We have access to a vast pool of volunteer doctors, nurses and medical students, but are often limited by supplies, equipment and funds. We can only do what we do through your continued support. Here’s what we still need and how you can get involved:

• Medical supplies & equipment
• 4×4 vehicles
• Audio-visual equipment
• Two-way radio sets
• Office equipment, furniture and consumables
• Fridges & freezers (for medicines)
• Finances for medical, administrative and support staff allowances

2009.02.26 by Harmony Trevino

Medicines Arrive

Our partners, the Orange Rotary, have received cholera-fighting medicines to help treat patients who have been affect by the outbreak. Thank you to all have supported these efforts!

2009.02.23 by Harmony Trevino

Update on Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe #2

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Jan 21, 2009)

The Cholera outbreak has not yet been brought under control, as the number of cases continued to rise during the reporting period:

• Cumulative number of reported cases in Zimbabwe since the beginning of the outbreak 48,623
• Number of reported deaths in Zimbabwe since the beginning of the outbreak 2,755
• Case fatality rate continues to rise to 5.7% against the target of less than 1%

Situation analysis

• Many Cholera Treatment centers still lack food, medicines, equipment and staff
• UN agencies and INGOs report difficulties in providing support due to logistical difficulties

Districts reported with increased cases include Gokwe North, Gokwe South, Guruve, Mt. Darwin, Seke, Murehwa, Nyanga, Buhera, Chipinge and Chiredzi. Hotspots are Masvingo, Manicaland, Midlands, and Mashonaland West

Given the current levels of average to above average rainfall and meteorological forecasts of more rain to come, concerns are mounting over the risks of flooding and the effect this would likely have to exacerbate the current Cholera crisis.

2009.01.27 by Harmony Trevino

Medicines Already Saving Lives in Zimbabwe

The cholera-fighting medicines Giving Children Hope shipped to treat approximately 40,000 has arrived at the Chegutu Cholera Treatment Center in Zimbabwe.

A report in the field confirms that over 2,200 patients have already been treated. More patients have been admitted and will be treated by the medicines.

2009.01.21 by Harmony Trevino

Update on Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe

Read the most current report on the deadly cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe

Giving Children Hope and partners have already sent packages of cholera-fighting pharmaceuticals to Zimbabwe in efforts to stop the outbreak.

For only $.22 you can save a life. Donate Today!

2009.01.13 by Harmony Trevino

Hope Community Church Receives Meds

Hope Community Church, another partner to help fight the cholera outbreak, as also received their medicines.

Here is a word from the pastor of Hope Community Church:

The medicines are already in the field saving lives! Thank you for such professional service. It was a joy to work with you folks and I am sure we will be in touch about more relief supplies soon.

God Bless You All,

Pastor Gary

2009.01.13 by Harmony Trevino

GAIN Receives Meds

Global Aid Network (GAIN) has received the cholera-fighting medicines.

Here is a response from GAIN:

The meds were released from Customs late Thursday! I was amazed! I think our staff was, too! Prior to the arrival they have contacted appropriate officials to assist in the distribution.

Thanks again,

Marvin Bozard
GAIN

2009.01.13 by Harmony Trevino

Cholera Crisis Outbreak

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released this today. The devastating cholera epidemic continues to spread, with a new outbreak in Chegutu Urban recording more than 378 suspected cases and 121 deaths.

2008.12.18 by Harmony Trevino

Medicines Ship to Celebration Church

Giving Children Hope also partnered with Hope Community Church in Missouri and Celebration Church in Zimbabwe. Celebration Church is working with Harvard University to build a Harvard Hospital in the city of Harare. Currently Celebration Church has opened two emergency outdoor clinics outside of Harare where they are treating thousands of people. Recently there were no doctors of nurses working but church communities came together to pay the salaries of the medical personnel and now almost 350 medical professionals are back to work but with limited supplies. Giving Children Hope is shipping 40,000 doses of cholera medicines to this project and will be working to send up to 10 containers of needed medical supplies, generators and other basics that are needed to save lives.

2009.01.29 by

Medicines Shipped to GAIN

Giving Children Hope has partnered with Global Aid Network (GAIN), subsidiary of Campus Crusade for Christ International, to ship medicines. GAIN’s projects include 5 hospitals and 8 clinics in the region that has been greatly affected by the cholera outbreak. The estimated population of the geographic area is 3 million people. The orphaned and the poor are their target population. Twenty five percent of the population that GAIN serves in Zimbabwe is under the age of 5.

2009.01.29 by

Medicines Arrive for World Vision

A Thank You from World Vision:

Thanks so much for your partnership, it means so much to those helping to serve the poor in Zimbabwe through this difficult time… Thank you for all your help in meeting the needs of the hospitals in Zimbabwe, two of our team just got back from there and they are reporting that the situation is pretty dire. Several of the hospitals are receiving goods only from World Vision GIK shipments and were in danger of shutting down before your donation arrived. Praise God for His perfect timing.

Jennifer Mounsey
World Vision

2009.01.29 by