Catching them on site: Cholera outbreak response reaches remote fishing camps

Arda Fishing Camp, Kariba – Savvy Mbereko walked a few meters to the lake after taking a break from her fishing chores. He dipped her 20-litre bucket, keeping one eye on a hippopotamus lurking in the waters nearby.

Back at her makeshift home—a tiny plastic shack on the shores of Lake Kariba—the 39-year-old took out a blue plastic bottle of water guard and poured two capfuls into the container.

“I just have to wait 30 minutes, and I will have my safe drinking water,” she said, securing the lid.

Amid squalid living conditions, two things stand out in nearly every shelter: fish and water guards. In this remote settlement, where access to clean water is almost nonexistent, the small bottle of disinfectant has become the most valuable asset in the fight against cholera.

Life around the world’s largest artificial lake has revolved around fishing for years. But after a cholera outbreak, the priority shifted from catching fish to securing safe drinking water. Water guard, which eliminates bacteria that cause cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea, has become a crucial tool for survival.

Mbereko, who abandoned selling second-hand clothes to try her luck in the fish trade, feared for her life when cholera struck in November.

“Like most people here, I had diarrhoea. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I am going to die in this wilderness.’ I was terrified,” she recalled.

Health workers soon arrived, teaching residents how to prepare salt-and-sugar oral rehydration solutions and distributing water guards “That’s what saved me,” Mbereko said.

Delivering lifesaving interventions to such hard-to-reach areas has been a priority for the Ministry of Health and Child Care, working alongside government agencies and partners such as UNICEF and Welthungerhilf, with funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

Kariba district recorded 128 suspected cholera cases, including one death, between November 2024 and February 2025. Authorities identified a lack of access to safe drinking water and poor sanitation as the main drivers of the outbreak in informal settlements like Arda Fishing Camp.

Reaching the camp requires navigating rocky dirt roads through a park teeming with wildlife. Elephants roam the savannah, occasionally disappearing into the thickets, while zebras and antelopes graze cautiously, wary of lurking predators.

There are no official figures on the camp’s population due to the transient nature of the fishers and traders, but the sea of black plastic shacks suggests hundreds live there. When not fishing, some residents gather to drink alcohol and listen to loud music, while others cook on open fires or buy food from a shack that doubles as a restaurant. A bottle of water guard sits next to the items on sale – cigarettes, cornflakes, eggs, and bread—sits a bottle of water guard.

During a sweltering February afternoon, a group of residents paused their daily activities to listen to visiting health workers raising awareness on water, sanitation, and hygiene. Later, a health worker made rounds, ensuring those who missed the meeting got the message.

“Please treat your water. Human waste and food are a deadly combination. How do you feel eating the waste of your neighbor’s wife? Please stay safe,” he urged through a loudspeaker. The remark drew laughter, but the message was clear.

Acting District Development Coordinator Takura Mahanzu emphasised the importance of reaching high-risk communities like informal fishing camps.

"We are not leaving anyone behind. There's an influx of people coming to the fishing camps from all over, they are hotspots. Even though these are illegal informal settlements, we must ensure everyone is reached," he said.

The camp's migratory nature creates a high risk of disease spread, as many residents travel frequently for business or family visits.

Others, like Mbereko, stay longer and pass on awareness to newcomers.

For her, survival has become more than just about catching fish—it's about staying alive in a place where clean water is more precious than the day's haul.

Having spent three months at the camp, Mbereko says she has become an unofficial health champion, ensuring vital WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) messages remain alive.

"People come and go all the time, so I always repeat the message for newcomers. I even share a bottle or two of water guard while we wait for the next stock—everyone must be safe," she said.