Page 40 - Research Report 2025.1

Cholera
Cholera is a public health issue in the Alfred Nzo District, primarily caused by a lack of access to clean water and sanitation services. Cholera outbreaks further weaken the already vulnerable rural communities by impacting both health and livelihoods.Participant 6 identified cholera as a recurring health risk in the region. The inadequate water supply and sanitation infrastructure in many rural areas contribute to the prevalence of cholera. Communities that rely on rivers or other contaminated water sources for drinking and irrigation are at increased risk. The institutional response to such health crises is critical for resilience, and efforts must be made to improve water access, sanitation infrastructure, and public health awareness to prevent future outbreaks.
Participant 6
“We have cholera. There’s another name I am looking for. Because if you go to the Sebeni Wards you will find that people still suffer from those diseases because of the lack of clean water., so it affects our people especially areas Siphethu hospital. It’s a disaster.
It’s a pandemic..”
Drugs
Drug abuse, particularly the rise of woonga (a street drug), presents a significant social disaster in the district, with direct implications for the future workforce and socio-economic stability. The drug problem not only affects individual health but also destroys livelihoods, particularly for young people who might otherwise contribute to the local economy. Participant 6 described the devastating impact of drug abuse on youth in the region.
Participant 6
Another disaster. Is the drug problem, the woonga drugs. Its another disaster. We could see professional young people. Coming from varsities. They are stuck with addiction through drugs. Their lives are over after that. That’s a disaster on its own to our young people. Our families, to our community. Yeah. So this thing drugs is also another form of disaster even though we have not identified it as one. Because our lives are affected badly by drugs.
The participants from Alfred Nzo District revealed that the area’s livelihoods are extremely vulnerable to a variety of natural and man-made disasters. Floods were one of the most frequently mentioned disasters in the region. Many participants cited recurring floods as a major issue that consistently undermines infrastructure and agricultural productivity. In addition, storms, drought, veld fires, and hail, driven by climate change, are frequent and damaging, particularly for those relying on subsistence farming. Additionally, outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and
Foot and Mouth Disease threaten both health and agricultural productivity. Social disasters, like drug addiction, further weaken the resilience of the population, particularly among the youth.
Community experienced any community wide diseases in the human population in the last 10 years? Theme 1:
Community wide diseases in last 10 years
This theme explores community wide diseases that have affected Alfred Nzo District over the past decade.
Rabies
The results indicate that a rabies outbreak occurred in the district within the last two years, highlighting the vulnerability of rural areas to zoonotic diseases. Communities that interact closely with animals, especially where there are limited vaccination efforts for pets and stray animals, are particularly at risk.
A Focus group Participant commented on the recent outbreak
“Then there’s and then there’s rabies. Rabies. Yes. Okay. We had we had had an outbreak in the past 2 years, I think, Of rabies.”
COVID-19
Another focus group participant added that the region was faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Focus group Participant
“Yes. COVID!”
38 | STUDY OBJECTIVE II