SENATORS yesterday demanded that they be given cholera vaccines at Parliament Building to counter the on-going outbreak, prompting Health minister Obadiah Moyo to order supplies for MPs.
The demand was made by Harare Metropolitan senator Omega Hungwe in Senate while the minister was responding to a question by Beitbridge senator Tambudzani Mohadi, who had asked Moyo to give an update on the cholera situation in the country.
“The World Health Organisation gave us 500 000 doses and they are now in the country, and we will begin by treating the affected people at the epicentre of cholera,” Moyo said.
He said ultimately, the whole country would get the cholera vaccinations, which could protect an individual for up to five years.
The Health minister said to date, 10 000 people had been treated while the death toll remained at 49.
He said the main causes were drinking contaminated water and eating food prepared using unsafe water sources.
“At the epicentre at Tichagarika shopping centre in Glen View, there is a woman who used dirty water to prepare food and three people died after eating the food. The woman also died,” Moyo said.