JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - An outbreak of cholera that has spread from Zimbabwe into northern parts of South Africa can be contained, South African Health Minister Barbara Hogan said Sunday.
Hogan said the health department had sent trained cholera outbreak response teams to help authorities in worst hit Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces tackle the water-borne disease.
"I'm very concerned about the increase in the number of cases, but confident in the ability of the Health Department to fight the disease," Hogan said in a statement.
"The key task is to work with the relevant water authorities to ensure improved access to clean water, in some parts of our country, and in Zimbabwe."
Cholera has killed nearly 2,800 people in neighbouring Zimbabwe and infected more than 40,000 since it broke out last August. It has since spread to South Africa where it has killed 36 people out of the 5,696 infected from November 15 to January 24.
South Africa's health department has set up a committee to implement a national program to combat the spread of cholera.
It had also asked the country's private health sector for additional resources, including medical volunteers, to help treat cholera patients.
(Reporting by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Katie Nguyen)
