…Chiredzi, Mwenezi top in open defecation
By Staff Reporter
35.1 percent of the population in Masvingo Province still practises open defecation, posing significant health and environmental risks, TellZim News has learnt.
Speaking during a press discussion organized by TellZim, Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa said the province was still behind in terms of reducing open defecation according to a 2022 National Housing Census report with Chiredzi topping the statistics at 47 percent.
“35.1 percent of the population in Masvingo Province still practices open defecation, posing significant health and environmental risks.
“The districts of Chiredzi and Mwenezi are most affected with a staggering 47 percent of the population in Chiredzi resorting to open defecation. However government is working towards improving the situation in the province by the next census,’ said Dr Pazvakavambwa.
Ministry of Health and Child Care Provincial Health Administrator Samson Nyoni who was representing Provincial health Medical Director Dr Amadeus Shamu however said the province had not recorded any cholera cases during this rainy season.
“For the record, one confirmed case of cholera is an outbreak but for all the cholera suspects that we tested we did not record any positive case. This means we do not have cholera around those areas from around the end of last year upto now,” said Nyoni.
Nyoni also noted government’s efforts in improving water, sanitation and hygiene and said 104 boreholes had been drilled at health facilities across the province for accessibility of potable water.
“We have had 104 boreholes drilled in the province to augment potable water provision,” said Nyoni.
Zimbabwe has experienced several cholera outbreaks with the recent one in 2023/2024 which was declared over after 18 months. Over 150 deaths were recorded with over 1 000 cases confirmed.
