Common Diarrhoea Outbreak Claims 4 Lives in Nkayi
Written by Skyz Metro FM on June 20, 2025
20 June 2025
By Andile Vundla
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has raised concern following a sharp spike in common diarrhoea cases across the country, with Nkayi District in Matabeleland North Province being the hardest hit this past week.
According to the latest Weekly Disease Surveillance Report, 4 263 new cases of common diarrhoea were recorded countrywide, along with six deaths, with four of them reported from Nkayi alone. The remaining two fatalities occurred in Emakhandeni, Bulawayo, and at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare.
Health officials also confirmed that over a third of the reported cases, 1 587 infections, were in children under the age of five, raising serious concerns over child health and sanitation in affected areas.
Provinces with the highest number of new infections include Mashonaland West, which recorded 694 cases, followed closely by Manicaland with 634 cases.
The ministry also revealed that since the beginning of the year, the country has recorded a staggering 146,766 cases of common diarrhoea, with 70 deaths so far.
Health authorities urged communities to prioritise hygiene, safe drinking water, and early medical attention when symptoms appear, especially among children, to prevent further loss of life.
Skyz Metro FM