Zimbabwe’s second city, Bulawayo, already reeling from a diarrhoea outbreak as a result of water shortages, has been told by its city council that it can only collect refuse once a month, writes IRINnews.
Garbage has been piling up around the city centre and a stench has now enveloped most high-density suburbs, where refuse has not been collected for the past 3 weeks.
Bulawayo has recorded 3,600 cases of diarrhoea since the disease hit the city in August 2007.
Zanele Hwalima, director of health services, warned that the uncollected refuse could cause a possible rodent (rotter) problem, which could expose residents to other diseases.
– The risk of disease outbreaks will be high … apart from [rodents] destroying food stores, there is the risk that the rodents will carry plague and contaminate food they come into contact with when they invade people’s homes.
Zimbabwe, battling a long-running economic meltdown, has been severely hit by foreign exchange shortages that have affected its ability to import fuel and other essential commodities.
Kilde: www.irinnews.org
