By A Correspondent
Zimbabwe is grappling with a sharp rise in disease outbreaks, with malaria, diarrhoea, and influenza leading the surge, according to the latest Weekly Disease Surveillance Report released on 29 May by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The report covers the week ending 18 May 2025 and paints a grim picture of the country’s current public health situation.
A total of 9,733 new malaria cases were recorded, resulting in 22 deaths nationwide. The most affected provinces were Mashonaland Central, which accounted for 4,172 cases, and Mashonaland West with 1,901 cases. Worryingly, 1,079 of these infections involved children under the age of five, highlighting the continued vulnerability of Zimbabwe’s youngest citizens.
The malaria-related deaths occurred at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare (6), Guruve District in Mashonaland Central (3), and Mutare and Chipinge districts in Manicaland (one each). Additional deaths were also reported in Mashonaland East, though the exact figure was not specified. Since the beginning of 2025, the country has recorded 82,940 malaria cases and 275 deaths.
The report also highlights a spike in common diarrhoea cases, with 4,309 new cases and four deaths in the same week. Children under five made up 38% of the new cases. All reported deaths occurred in Harare Province—three at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and one at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital. The year-to-date tally stands at 138,458 diarrhoea cases and 62 deaths.
Influenza cases—often dismissed as the common cold—have also been rising steadily. The Ministry recorded 5,099 suspected influenza cases for the week, with no deaths reported. Mashonaland West (1,831 cases) and Manicaland (1,361 cases) were the worst affected. The national total for suspected influenza now sits at 90,248 cases this year.
The Midlands Province reported five new anthrax cases, two each from Gokwe North and South, and one in Kwekwe. While no deaths have been attributed to anthrax in 2025, the country has now logged 61 cumulative cases.
In addition, 19 new suspected measles cases were reported from various provinces, including Harare, Mashonaland East, Matabeleland North, Midlands, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, and Bulawayo. So far, no measles deaths have occurred this year, and the cumulative case count stands at 266.
Another lingering concern is the rising number of dog bite incidents, with 590 cases recorded during the week. Among these, 121 were from vaccinated dogs, 98 from unvaccinated dogs, and 379 from dogs of unknown vaccination status. The highest numbers were from Masvingo and Manicaland. Although no fatalities have been reported from dog bites, the total number of cases has climbed to 12,548 since the start of the year.
The Ministry’s data underscores the urgent need for reinforced public health responses and preventive measures, particularly in rural and underserved areas where the brunt of these outbreaks is being felt.