CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN SOUTH AFRICA

UNCLAS PRETORIA 002643 BT USAID FOR BUREAU OF GLOBAL HEALTH AND AFR/SA HHS/PHS FOR OFFICE OF GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS WSTEIGER CDC FOR GLOBAL HEALTH OFFICE SBLOUNT NIH FOR JHERRINGTON SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMGT AMED KSTH KSCA SENV SF ZI SUBJECT: CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN SOUTH AFRICA ¶1. Summary: An outbreak of cholera has been reported in South Africa. This is a result of cholera cases crossing the Zimbabwean border into the South African town of Musina in the Limpopo province and slowly spreading throughout the country. South African Government spokesperson Themba Maseko said the Government will assist Limpopo health authorities in dealing with the outbreak as the number of cases identified is increasing and they can no longer cope. End Summary. ¶2. Harare 1054, sent November 26, provides a detailed description of the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe as well as the Government of Zimbabwe's (GOZ) response and the response of donors. -------------- Cholera Outbreak in South Africa -------------- ¶4. The South African town of Musina in the Limpopo Province is near the main border crossing between the two countries. Many Zimbabweans have crossed the border into Musina and deaths due to the cholera outbreak have been reported. The December 3rd National Outbreak Committee Situational Report on the cholera outbreak in South Africa has reported 486 cumulative cholera cases. The majority of these cases were Zimbabweans coming into South Africa to seek medical attention and a few were South Africans who travel on a regular basis between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Ten deaths were recorded and more cases of cholera are still being identified. ¶5. The cholera outbreak is spreading quickly in South Africa. Limpopo province has reported 455 cholera cases, Gauteng reported 26 cases, KwaZulu-Natal reported two cases, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and the North West province have each reported one case. Limpopo Department of Health spokesperson, Phuti Selobi, is reassuring the South African public not to panic because the two countries do not share a common water source. -------------- South African Government Response -------------- ¶6. South African Government spokesperson Themba Maseko said the Government will assist Limpopo health authorities to deal with the outbreak as the number of cases identified is increasing and they can no longer cope. The South African Government has responded to the situation with extra medical personnel and facilities being setup along the border to help curb the crisis. Three re-hydration centers have been set up so that people do not have to travel long distances to get treatment. The Department of Health has negotiated to have one of the centers set up in the "no man's land" between the two countries. Aid groups such as World Vision and Doctors Without Borders fear that the outbreak will worsen in Zimbabwe as the rainy season progresses. ¶7. The National and Provincial Departments of Health mobilized staff and supplies to deal with the outbreak. Additional health professionals such as doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, and public health specialists were deployed to provide assistance in Musina. Minister Hogan added: "The National Multi-sector Committee shared information on the current status in South Africa and in Zimbabwe. There was consensus that much is being done in both countries by various stakeholders to address the outbreak and its consequences." ¶8. Other measures that the South African Government have taken to Q8. Other measures that the South African Government have taken to help curb the cholera crisis include talking to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) about measures to deal with the outbreak. South Africa has also set up a task team to deal with the outbreak in Limpopo. The team is led by the Department of Health and will include the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Water Affairs and Forestry, as well as Provincial and Local Government. Other Departments will join the team on an as needed basis. ¶9. Minister of Health Barbara Hogan briefed the media on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 and said: "While South Africa was under pressure to respond to its own health problems, the country was obliged to assist its neighbor. I do not think the scale of the problem is large enough to stretch our resources. We will provide any assistance required by the World Health Organization. There is a humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. Under no circumstance will we want to stop people who are sick and in need of treatment from entering the country." -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. The South African public health system is already overburdened in providing health services to its population and a cholera outbreak to South Africa will worsen the situation. There are 5.7 million South Africans living with HIV. TB is the most common opportunistic disease affecting people with HIV in South Africa. An estimated 353,000 people were diagnosed with TB in 2007, of which 70 percent were also infected with HIV. Infant mortality also is high at 53 deaths per 1,000. The new Minister of Health Barbara Hogan is quickly engaging South Africa's many health challenges, but the cholera threat is adding onto an already Herculean list of problems. Bost