By Chipo Gudhe
SILICOSIS claimed five lives at Kwekwe General Hospital in August alone, with an environmental health official warning that the occupational lung disease is continuing to take a heavy toll on people in the city’s gold-mining communities.
The five deaths were recorded among 17 people admitted to the hospital during the month, according to Kwekwe City Council Environmental Health Officer Muvango Zvichauya, who said the disease was particularly affecting people aged between 25 and 54 years.
Zvichauya said artisanal and small-scale gold miners were among those most at risk because many work without adequate respiratory protection, exposing themselves to fine silica dust generated during mining activities.
“Silicosis is still a major issue here in Kwekwe. In August alone five deaths were recorded at Kwekwe General Hospital out of the 17 people admitted in that month. It’s mostly affecting the 25 to 54 years age group,” she said.
She was speaking during a Ward 1 residents’ feedback meeting on Monday.
Zvichauya said miners needed to use proper respiratory masks to prevent fine silica particles from being inhaled and accumulating in their lungs.
“Mostly people affected are those working the gold mines as they do not use proper safety wear. There is need for these people to use respiratory masks to protect themselves from fine silica dust which goes on to accumulate in the lungs,” she said.
She warned that makeshift protection commonly used by some gold panners was inadequate to protect them from silica dust.
“Those cloths and masks that are being used by these gold panners are not effective, they have to use respirators,” she said.
The warning comes against a backdrop of alarming figures from Kwekwe General Hospital, which has previously reported silicosis as one of its major respiratory health challenges.
In June, hospital medical superintendent Dr Tinashe Gunda said the hospital was losing about one silicosis patient every week, translating to an estimated 50 to 60 deaths a year. At the time, between 12 and 15 silicosis patients were being admitted at any given time, while more than 22 silicosis-related admissions had been recorded since the beginning of the year.
The latest August figures therefore add to a growing body of evidence pointing to the serious health burden associated with silica exposure in Kwekwe’s mining communities.
Zvichauya also sought to correct a common misconception about the disease, saying silicosis is not contagious.
“Silicosis is not transmittable from one person to the other like TB,” she said.
Silicosis is caused by prolonged inhalation of fine crystalline silica dust, which can permanently scar the lungs. Once established, the disease cannot be cured, making prevention and protection at workplaces critical.
With Kwekwe being a major mining centre and a large number of people relying on artisanal and small-scale mining for livelihoods, health authorities have increasingly called for stronger preventive measures, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment and community awareness.
Zvichauya said Kwekwe City Council, through the Mayor’s Office, had embarked on an awareness campaign aimed at educating communities about the dangers of silicosis and ways of preventing exposure.
“We, as Kwekwe City Council through the Mayor’s Office, embarked on a massive awareness programme to educate people on this issue,” she said.
Source: Five die as Silicosis tightens grip in Kwekwe — The Midlands Observer
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