Harare, March 15 : Zimbabwe has recorded 124 confirmed cases of cholera since the latest outbreak started in November last year, Minister of Health and Child Care Douglas Mombeshora said.

Addressing a press conference in Harare, Mombeshora said Zimbabwe has registered 15 confirmed deaths, 608 suspected cases, and 566 recoveries.

Six out of the country's 10 provinces have been affected, with the bulk of recent cases reported in Mashonaland Central Province, the minister noted.

According to Mombeshora, most cases were identified among artisanal miners along the Mazowe River and the small farming town of Glendale in Mashonaland Central Province, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Artisanal miners move from place to place and as they move, they also spread cholera. As a result, we have seen the persistence of cases coming up from Mashonaland Central Province, especially along the Mazowe River where a lot of gold panning is taking place," he said.

"We are looking at the possibility of getting more vaccines because our stocks have run out. We now have about 4,000 doses only left, which are not enough to deal with the affected areas," the health minister added.

Mombeshora also revealed that recurring cholera outbreaks continued to hit Zimbabwe, primarily driven by a lack of sustainable water and sanitation infrastructure.

According to the World Health Organisation, cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is a global public health threat and indicates inequity and lack of social and economic development. Access to safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene is essential to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases.

Most people with cholera have mild or moderate diarrhoea and can be treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS). However, the disease can progress rapidly, so starting treatment quickly is vital to save lives. Patients with severe disease need intravenous fluids, ORS and antibiotics.

Cholera outbreaks occur regularly in some countries. In others, they are less frequent, and it may be years between outbreaks. Cholera is linked to limited access to safe water, basic sanitation facilities and poor hygiene practices. This may be due to conflict, population displacement, climate events like cyclones, floods or drought, and lack of investment in maintaining and improving WASH services and infrastructure.

/IANS