Water supply must be fixed or cholera crisis will be dire

It is concerning that the department of health is worried at the increasing number of locally acquired cholera cases, following four new ones recorded over the last week in Gauteng.

The department said the new cases were classified as “indigenous”, because the patients had no history of travel to neighbouring countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which are currently experiencing cholera outbreaks.

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Water-borne

Cholera is a water-borne intestinal disease which can cause severe diarrhoea, leading to severe dehydration and even death. What is worrying the experts is that some of the cases identified in Gauteng come from exposure to, or consumption of, untreated water in the Jukskei and Klip rivers.

While some people immerse themselves in rivers as part of religious ceremonies, there is a possibility that people might be forced to drink from rivers because of the collapse of formal water supply services.

It is, therefore, of paramount importance that the water infrastructure in Gauteng – which is crumbling after decades of neglect by government – should be repaired and maintained as soon as possible. If this is not done, we are staring down the barrel of a massive health and humanitarian crisis.

READ MORE: Cholera outbreak: Symptoms started after baptisms in Jukskei and Klip rivers