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Zimbabwe's ex-health minister David Parirenyatwa has reportedly said a deadly cholera outbreak in Harare is feared to have killed at least five people while 35 others have been admitted at a hospital.
According to NewsDay, the cholera outbreak has been heightened by local authorities' struggles in providing clean water and the collection of garbage because of financial challenges.
Officials are trying to find the source of the outbreak, which is currently limited to two suburbs in the capital.
Ten years ago almost 100 000 people were infected with cholera in Zimbabwe and at least 4 000 people died in the outbreak, reported BBC.
Non-government groups said the sudden outbreak of cholera and typhoid in Harare was causing grave concerns.
In a statement, the NGOs said that the outbreak was emanating from a spate of unattended sewer bursts in Harare suburb of Glen View.
According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, Parirenyatwa urged citizens to wash their hands and commended the Harare City Council for responding quickly to the outbreak.
"Wash your hands and make sure the water you are drinking is safe. If you do not have water that is clean then we have this problem that we are facing. It is usually a problem of water which is contaminated," the former minister was quoted as saying.
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