In Brondo in southeastern DRC, having clean water is essential for survival. Despite enjoying rich rainfall for much of the year, the region lacks proper water treatment.
For residents like Betty, access to satitation and treated water therefore is extremely limited.
“We drink the unclean water. There are overflowing septic tanks and rainwater that brings the city’s garbage into the houses,” Betty told DW, as health experts issued renewed warnings about the surge in cholera cases there.
The disease is spreading rapidly in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with neighboring countries keeping a watchful eye on their borders.
Yet most longterm remedies against the outbreak are to be found at the local level.
Zimbabwe’s search for clean water
In Zimbabwe, the situation has now reached a critical point. Since the beginning of the outbreak, more than 22,000 cases have been repoted and more than 450 deaths.
Doctors decry a lack of awareness about preventive measures among communities.
“People are not keen on treating borehole water. They assume that borehole water is safe, but the water is not safe,” says Dr Michael Vere, an epidemiologist at Harare Central Hospital.
In Zimbabwe’s capital city, the issue is also further exacerbated due to the population density in certain areas, such as the Highfield Western Triangle suburb.
Communities there are facing a shortage of safe playing areas for children, as raw sewage continues to flow in backyards and on the streets.
Chiedza Zulu, a concerned mother of four, highlights the fear that has been gripping the community.
“Cholera cases are cropping up around us. We now keep oral hydration salts in case we contract the disease. Sewage is flowing, and refuse is not being collected. Flies, rodents, and mosquitos are plenty here. This is unbearable,” she told DW.
‘All water must be assumed dangerous’
Dr Vere meanwhile emphasizes the importance of addressing inadequate water and sanitation conditions to protect local residents:
“We encourage people to treat all water regardless of source,” he cautioned, saying that borehole water was also unsafe.
With suspected and confirmed cases reported in 61 out of 64 districts, Zimbabwe’s government has now taken action to address the outbreak head-on.
Health authorities have set up 153 cholera treatment centers and have initiated a cholera vaccination campaign.
Not enough vaccines available
However, the country’s efforts to vaccinate a large portion of the population are being hindered by the global shortage of the cholera vaccine.
Douglas Mombeshora, the health minister of Zimbabwe, says that the vaccine is not a quick fix for ending the cholera crisis.
“The vaccine is not an end to cholera,” Mombeshora told reporters, adding that it rather amounted to “a temporary response which should be complemented with tangible investment in safe water provision.”
According to a UNICEF report, Zimbabwe is facing a shortage of investment in water and sanitation infrastructure – leading to only about one in three households having access to improved water sources and sanitation.
Southern Africa on high alert
Mozambique appears to be in a similar similar siutation as Yimbabwe, with around 40,000 cases and 151 fatalities being reported.
However, Mozanbique’s numbers hail all the way back to September 2022, marking a slow march towards endemic propotions, which experts find worrying.
Similarly, the DR Congo is also currently grappling with a longer-lasting cholera outbreak.
Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and response activities, there have been nearly 300 cases recorded in the DRC’s Haut-Katanga province since the beginning of the year.
Professor Albert Tambwe, director of the School of Public Health, attributes the rise in cases to overall unsanitary conditions there.
“The conclusion is that our water is indeed 52% contaminated, but with ‘salmonella’ and other germs,” he said, highlighting the daily struggle people face even without the threat of contracting cholera whenever they turn on their taps.
Tambwe, however, added that there wasn’t any notable rate of cholera bacteria in the water — yet.
Malawi must not rest on low incidence rate
Meanwhile in neighboring Malawi, there have only been 58 cholera cases reported so far.
However, health experts are calling on the government to nevertheless allocate more funds towards Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs, and not be appeased by lower case numbers compared to its neighbors.
Maziko Matemba, a public health expert in MAlawi, underscores the need to improve access to safe and clean water in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.
“If it is not well supported in terms of buying commodities and other necessities, I think it will be challenging,” Matemba told DW.
Cleaning up with dirty water
The Ministry of Health in Malawi has actively been monitoring the disease since the start of the Cholera campaign in October 2023.
Adrian Chikumbe, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, says the government has a comprehensive set of measures aimed at containing the spread in place, including intensified communication efforts and enhanced surveillance.
Matemba believes this is not enought, emphasizing the magnitude of the persistent cholera risk in Malawi, and citing factors like limited access to clean water and the urgent need for substantial support in terms of resources as solutions to a ticking time-bomb.
Malawi’s Minister of Water and Sanitation in Malawi, Abida Mia, meanwhile believes that it is not so much the quality of the water itself but rather its use that needs be highlighteed in campaigns.
She believes that promoting better hygiene practices are key components of the ongoing efforts to combat the disease: “Hygiene is the main problem that we are facing regarding the spread of cholera,” she told DW.
A regional response
In response to the escalating health crisis, leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have devised a collective strategy to combat cholera.
They have pledged to increase investment in water and sanitation infrastructure in the region.
“The public health crisis plaguing our region poses a serious threat to sustainable development and the well-being of our peoples,” said Angolan President João Loureço, who currently chairs the rotating presidency of SADC.
“Cholera knows no borders and requires a regional approach to address it,” Loureço added.
In a virtual summit, SADC leaders agreed to provide efficient waste management and a sustainable supply of clean water. They also recognized that at least 40 percent of the region’s population lacked access to safe water.
Adapted by Mimi Mefo Takambou
Edited by Sertan Sanderson
