THE Ministry of Health and Child Care says there is an outbreak of diarrhoea in parts of Chimanimani and Chipinge which were hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai with more than 50 cases having been recorded.

Speaking in a telephone interview, the Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Portia Manangazira, said a number of Cyclone Idai victims had been treated for diarrhoea in the last week.

 “We have noted a number of diarrhoea cases among the victims of the cyclone. We are expecting that it could be because of living conditions and lack of proper ablution facilities.

“I am unable to give exact figures at the moment but we have attended to over 50 people who were treated for diarrhoea. Under such circumstances this should be expected as the body has a way of responding to such conditions,” she said.

Dr Manangazira said the Ministry was working to ensure that there were proper sanitation facilities and clean water in the area.

“We are working as a ministry with a number of our partners, all tasked to ensure that there are proper sanitation facilities in Cyclone Idai affected areas,” she said. 

Dr Manangazira said the Ministry had also recorded cases of pneumonia and other respiratory infections which she attributed to exposure to weather conditions.