Schools have opened and learners are still flocking to their respective educational institutions. Some parents are still in financial doldrums to the extent that their children are still at home, not sure when they will report to schools.
The economic situation is not pleasing at all with unbearable inflation rates, high interest rates, lack of investor confidence, unstable local currency, and unprecedented unemployment rate. Some of the salaries given to professionals are so meagre that it is difficult to even send one child to a boarding school in the country. The level of poverty has reached alarming levels.
I accompanied a friend of mine to Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East province who was looking for a Form 3 place for his child. I did not know that headmasters are now mini-gods even if they are at government schools. The security guards at the gate were belligerent, they were under discourteous instructions not to allow anyone inside. The headmaster was not even answering phone calls the whole day and we later learnt from the community about the deep-sitting arrogance of the school head.
We drove off without any attention and I realised the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has to put its house in order. Such smugness and condescension should not be tolerated especially from a public official at a government institute who will soon retire into the streets. People forget they still need others and being a cabinet minister, headmaster, vice-chancellor will one day come to an end so looking down upon others can be suicidal to your future life.
Office-bearers should utilise their positions for networking and not to be blowhards who will live to regret their untoward attitude in future.
Mazowe district in Mashonaland Central province has recently witnessed an outbreak of cholera, a medieval water-borne disease caused by gram-negative facultative anaerobe, vibrio cholerae. It is undeniable that outbreaks require strong both mitigation and containment strategies if we are to reduce both incidence and prevalence rates.
Clean water supplies, good sanitation and hygiene are the cornerstones of Cholera prevention and control. Risk communication and community engagements are critical strategies if the disease is going to be subdued forever. This would call for strong educational programmes to educate people about the symptoms and signs of cholera so that cases are managed early.
The disease can present with severe vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle cramps, generalised weakness, fainting and death can come if complications are not corrected quickly. Heightened surveillance is required once cases are suspected or identified with contact tracing taking centre stage.
- Chitungwiza sewer infrastructure collapses
- Chitungwiza sewer infrastructure collapses
- LSU runs dry, students resort to open defecation
- Govt must prioritise water provision
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Social media was abuzz recently with schools that have dilapidated infrastructure. Some ablution facilities at some of the stated schools are astonishing and one wonders if we still have paternalistic school authorities or we have avaricious school leaders who are chasing wealth.
How can a whole school claim to be ready for cholera without the minimal sanitation facilities? Where is learner hygiene if there is not even a simple bucket of water to wash hands? Where is running water at some of the prominent schools?
It seems some of us do not appreciate the gravity of Cholera when it strikes. The disease has potential to decimate people within a short time if no medical attention is rendered quickly especially in patients that have fulminant dehydration of close to 10%.
We should strive to make sure the disease is kept under check and any suspected cases should be reported to health authorities as a matter of urgency. Delays may mean spreading the disease to as many learners as possible so health education should be conscientious to benefit the community at large.
Government should identify risky areas and introduce the cholera vaccine. The two doses given are of importance as they give protection from cholera for up to 3 years. Severe cholera will be prevented with vaccines.
Keep cholera from schools forever. Report suspected cases if we are to contain the disease.
