§ Ms Keeble:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the outbreak of cholera in Binga, Zimbabwe. [140467]
§ Hilary Benn:A cholera outbreak has been reported in the two northern districts of Kariba (in Mashonaland West province) and Binga (in Matabeleland North province). A total of 173 cases and 26 deaths have so far been reported. WHO have commented that this fatality rate of approximately 15 per cent. is alarmingly high, probably due to the declining capacity of the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health to respond, and the growing food shortages. Latest reports indicate that the situation is under control in Binga, where no new infections are being recorded, but appears to be spreading in Kariba district.
Save the Children (UK) are using emergency response resources provided by DFID to address the situation in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, UNICEF, WHO, Médicine Sans Frontières (Spain) and several other NGOs. The aim is to ensure that the disease does not spread further and that those communities at risk are assisted with soap and other hygiene items, as well as water purification tablets and ORS supplies to treat diarrhoea.
Cholera outbreaks are becoming more frequent in the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. Save the Children (UK) are planning to use the lessons learnt during their response to this outbreak in order to conduct rapid response training for other relevant organisations involved in humanitarian operations in Zimbabwe.