Zimbabwe capital city declares state of emergency as cholera cases increase

HARARE, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's capital city Harare has declared a state of emergency following rising cases of cholera which have seen the country recording 51 cholera-related deaths, while the number of suspected cholera-related deaths stood at 149 as of Thursday night.

Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama told Xinhua Friday that the council on Thursday held a special meeting where it decided to declare the pandemic a state of emergency.

"The way forward is that we have to pool resources together to fight and prevent it. We are asking for assistance from both within the country and our usual partners. They are being asked to assist," he said.

As of Thursday, Harare had reported 2,236 suspected cholera cases, with 123 of them having been reported on the same day, while the cumulative confirmed cases were 210, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

According to the ministry, the city had so far recorded four deaths from cholera, while the suspected deaths stood at 12.

Countrywide, the country had a total of 1,268 confirmed cases, 51 confirmed cholera deaths and 149 suspected cholera deaths. The total number of suspected cholera cases stood at 7,751.

The latest outbreak conjures the specter of 2008 when many people succumbed to the pandemic.