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Zimbabwe cholera crisis spurs South African action
South Africa is sending more military doctors to its northern border to treat Zimbabwean cholera victims who have fled their homeland to get help, the government said on Friday.
- AP
- Published: 15:41 December 5, 2008
South Africa is sending more military doctors to its northern border to treat Zimbabwean cholera victims who have fled their homeland to get help, the government said on Friday.
There are fears of a regional disease outbreak, which led to renewed calls on Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe to step down.
Zimbabwe state media announced Thursday that a national health emergency had been declared.
The United Nations estimates the cholera epidemic has killed at least 575, of at least 12,700 infected since August.
Cholera is an infectious intestinal disease that is contracted by consuming contaminated food or water. Its symptoms include severe diarrhoea.
South African government spokesman Themba Maseko said on Friday that in addition to deploying more military health workers, South Africa was sending clean water and other aid into Zimbabwe.
South Africa also was dispatching a fact-finding team to Zimbabwe on Monday, Maseko said. Other humanitarian steps would be announced next week, he said.
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