Zimbabwe aid diary: Fighting cholera

More than 3,300 people have died from the worst outbreak of cholera in Zimbabwe's history, which has infected nearly 66,000 people.

The epidemic has been fuelled by the country's economic meltdown, which has led to the collapse of the country's water, health and sanitation systems.

Matthew Cochrane, from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is keeping a diary for the BBC News website as he travels around Zimbabwe this week to see the situation for himself.

Our swing through Zimbabwe's south finished on Wednesday as we left Bulawayo and headed north to Kadoma in Mashonaland West.

In the past week or so, the community has buried 10 people

Another outbreak had been reported, this time in Zvishavane.

A team of his volunteers were on their way to blanket the town with public health information.

We arrived in Kadoma at about midday.

Kadoma is home to Zimbabwe's largest cholera treatment centre - a small town of tents laid out on a football pitch.

The centre has treated about 3,400 cases and seems to be running well.

The sister in charge told me that the area's case fatality rate (deaths by number of cases) is only about 1.4% - well below the countrywide stratospheric rate that is hovering between 5% and 5.5%.

On the way in I was stopped by an old man. He told me that he was from Martin's Spur, a town about 10km (six miles) outside of Kadoma.

In the past week or so, the community has buried 10 people.

Ox carts

He asked me about transport.

We don't have any ambulances Nurse in Kadoma

His community has been transporting new cases to the treatment centre on oxcarts.

As he was finishing his story, one of the carts arrived with a young and very sick woman.

I spoke to the sister about the man.

"We don't have any ambulances," she grimaced.

The local municipality has put some of its vehicles on standby but the situation is more complex than that.

Firstly, the communications infrastructure across the country is so strained that messages and requests typically don't get through.

Secondly, even if a message does arrive, there is no guarantee that there will be fuel for the vehicles or that the drivers will be able to make their way to the centre.

An economic crisis alongside a health crisis.

We were taken on a tour of the site. One tent was set up for acute cases.

Lack of food sits at the heart of the cholera crisis

In that tent a woman lay in her bed hooked up to a respirator.

"Renal failure," whispered the sister in my ear.

"She should be in Harare," she continued. "But again; no transport."

We left Kadoma and drove another couple of hours to Karoi.

Another treatment centre, this one supported by the Japanese and German Red Cross Societies.

Sister Songola introduced me to a young girl who had been admitted this morning, only one hour after her mother was discharged.

Rations

We left the centre and literally stumbled across a Zimbabwe Red Cross food distribution.

We just can't help everyone Nora Samupunga Red Cross security officer

The Red Cross is giving food to more that 260,000 people across the country.

Food really sits at the heart of the cholera crisis.

The UN is now estimating that seven million Zimbabweans are in need of food aid.

Hunger compromises the immune system, leaving people unable to fight something like cholera.

About 2,600 people were given a monthly allocation of maize, beans and cooking oil on Wednesday.

As the distribution wound up dozens of others rushed into the compound and picked through the grass for spilt maize meal.

"A lot of people who aren't our clients come looking for food," said Nora Samupunga, the local Red Cross food security officer.

"We just can't help everyone."

Again, resources. But I've already laboured that point.

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