Zanzibar sets up anti-cholera taskforce

Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar has launched an anti-cholera taskforce following an outbreak of the disease, which has resulted in four deaths in Unguja and Pemba, the two islands that make up Zanzibar. At least 100 cases of severe diarrhoea had also been recorded in the islands, Zanzibar's health and social welfare minister, Sultan Mohamed Mugheiry, said when he launched the taskforce on Wednesday in the capital, Stone Town. Of the dead, three were from Mwambe, south of Pemba Island; and the other one was from Uzi village, south of Unguja Island. Mugheiry told a new conference after the launch that the taskforce - comprising local health officials, regional administrators and the UN World Heath Organization (WHO) Zanzibar Liaison Office - would look into ways of preventing the disease from spreading in the islands. He said two special cholera centres had been opened in the affected areas, one at Mwambe and the other at Uzi, to cater for the patients. He added that the main Mnazi Mmoja Hospital had also recorded cholera cases. Mugheiry said preliminary findings by health officials sent to Pemba last week showed that "contaminated water and lack of proper toilets in the affected areas had contributed to the cholera outbreak, plus shortage of chlorine to treat water". He said the water department was working hard to obtain chlorine. He added that the newly formed taskforce had given the Ministry of Education one week to resolve toilet problem at Kengeja School, "or risk closure of the school". Mugheiry urged Zanzibaris to observe health safety measures, including boiling drinking water and making use of toilets. He also appealed to the local media to help in the awareness campaign. The African Development Bank (ADB), which funds a number of health projects, has constructed 180 public toilets mainly in rural areas, "but some people are still reluctant to use toilets and instead go to relieve themselves in bush or at the beach", Mugheiry said. Zanzibar has repeatedly been hit by cholera epidemics, the most severe of which was recorded in late 1997 - killing at least 123 people with more than 1,065 reported cases. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease, with patients suffering from rapid loss of body fluids leading to dehydration and shock. Without treatment, usually with fluid infusion, death can occur within hours.