Cholera Kills at Least 50 in Somalia

3 More Die of Cholera

THREE more people have died of cholera in Buhera, Manicaland, Zimbabwe, bringing to 14 such deaths over the last six days. The police last night confirmed the new deaths but would not immediately name the deceased.

Police spokesman Inspector Andrew Phiri said the three deaths were recorded between Wednesday and yesterday afternoon. There are fears that the disease could spread further as most members of the Johane Marange Apostolic Faith Church, who are dominant in the cholera-hit areas, are resisting medical treatment. Insp Phiri said officers had been deployed, along with health workers, in the Chief Nyashanu and Chiduku areas to locate and bring for treatment affected people. "We have to first try and persuade them but if they resist, we will have to force them as this is a highly contagious disease with a potential to wipe out whole communities if not contained," said Insp Phiri.

The police officer commanding the exercise on the ground, Superintendent Stephen Musha, told The Herald in Murambinda on Wednesday that they were mostly concerned about minors. "We want to ensure that everyone affected, particularly children, are treated. While we respect the beliefs of the worshippers, we cannot afford to sit by and watch lives being lost," said Insp Musha.

Members of the church shun medical treatment, preferring spiritual healing. This has exacerbated the spread of the disease, whose first victim in the affected area died on Saturday. She refused to seek medical remedy. According to health personnel, mourners at the woman's funeral contracted the disease there, leading to its spread. However, there are other church members who have chosen to defy the church directives and sought medical assistance for the afflicted. John Chikunda, whose wife Enida Muchengi had contracted the disease, took her to the nearby Chiweshe Clinic, where she was treated and discharged on Wednesday. He said while he was a firm believer in his church's doctrine, he could ill-afford seeing his wife die while doing nothing about it.

Unconfirmed reports said that at least 15 cholera-related deaths were recorded in the nearby Sabi Drift area in April while another five people were died in the Chief Nyashanu and Chiduku areas at the beginning of May.