The Sunday Mail
Chief Reporter
Harare City Council will this week embark on a massive clampdown to rid the city of unlicensed vendors and irregular shopping outlets as authorities step up efforts to combat spread of typhoid.This comes as the latest report from the Ministry of Health and Child Care showed that 127 cases of typhoid were reported during the week ending January 1. No new cases of the dreaded cholera were reported last week.
Police are also expected to be part of the crackdown amid concerns that municipal officers appear ill-equipped to deal with the growing number of illegal vendors who have also resorted to “night operations” in the capital city.
The blitz comes after an inter-ministerial committee last week pronounced a coterie of measures to fight spread of typhoid and other diarrhoeal diseases. Ministers of Health and Child Care; Local Government, Public Works and National Housing; Environment, Water and Climate; Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development make up the inter-ministerial committee which also includes Mayor of Harare Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail last week, Harare City Council acting public relations manager Mr Michael Chideme said Council would with immediate effect swoop on illegal vending in the city centre.
“The Harare City Council is banning all unlicensed food vending. We will also enhance inspection of all food outlets to guarantee adherence to set regulations. (We are also going to) close all outlets violating the city’s regulations.”
Asked how Council intends to get rid of the vendors who have continued to creep back into the city centre despite numerous raids by council, Mr Chideme said, “This time there is going to be strict enforcement (for the vendors) not to return and to stick to designated sites.
Mr Chideme said while the city authorities are aware that vending is a source of livelihood for many people, there will be no compromise on the health risks posed by vending.
“We cannot compromise the health of the majority. We look at public interest. The health of the majority supersedes any other interest,” he said.
Speaking during Star FM’s The Hub programme last Thursday, Mr Chideme said council would also enlist help from the police.
“We have carried out such raids before so we will also work with the police.” According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care report for the week ending January 1, at least 127 suspected typhoid cases, 21 diarrhoea deaths and three dysentery deaths were reported.
According to the report, “One hundred and twenty seven new suspected typhoid cases and no deaths were reported this week.
“The cases were reported from Harare City (86), Mazowe district (17), Bikita district in Masvingo province (2), Mutare district in Manicaland province (1), Mpilo Central Hospital (4) and Harare Central Hospital (17).
“The cumulative figures for typhoid are 2 352 suspected cases, 85 confirmed cases and 9 deaths.”
During the week under review, no suspected cases of cholera were reported after the last cases were reported earlier in December.
“No new suspected cholera cases were reported this week. The last cases of cholera were reported during week number 49 of 2016. The cumulative figures for cholera are 10 suspected cases, 3 confirmed cases and 1 death.”
“Total diarrhoea cases reported this week are 7 732 cases and 21 deaths. Of the reported cases, 3 318 (42,9 percent) and 4 deaths were from the under five years of age.”
According to the Ministry of Health and Chidl Care, the standard definition of typhoid includes any person with gradual onset of steadily increasingly and then persistently high fever, chills, malaise, headache, sore throat, cough and at times abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhoea. Addressing a press conference in Harare last week, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa urged Harare City Council to put measures to immediately stop illegal vending of food.
