Mine dust sparks TB outbreak

13 Jul, 2014 - 06:07 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Two Zvishavane villagers have died from tuberculosis and 142 others have been put on treatment after reportedly contracting the airborne disease from dust and toxic fumes discharged by mines in the town.
The Environmental Management Agency will dispatch investigators to check if mining companies are following health and safety regulations.

Senior health officials in the mining town said people aged 15 to 40 were most affected and authorities were distributing medication.

Three patients are getting special attention after their conditions became drug-resistant. Zvishavane district medical official Dr Simbarashe Manyara said some of the villagers were HIV-positive and were thus particularly susceptible to TB.

“The town has recorded increased tuberculosis cases and other chest infectious diseases since it is a mining area. Seven deaths were recorded in 2013 and two during the first quarter of 2014.” EMA spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata said the law required mines to follow proper health and safety standards.

“Miners must meet conditions that EMA and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate set. We would not want them to benefit at the expense of the people. It is everyone’s constitutional right to live in a healthy and safe environment.

“Mines should have mechanisms to suppress dust so that people in the area do not inhale it. A mine that does mineral crushing should apply wet crushing mechanisms so that dust is consumed by water before people inhale it.”

Zvishavane has significant reserves of asbestos, gold and platinum and many people in the district are employed in mines or live near them.

In 2008, 895 villagers were diagnosed with the infectious disease while 608 more cases were recorded in the following year. Between 2010 and 2013, 2 152 villagers were diagnosed with TB.

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