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World Vision takes lead on cholera response as national emergency is declared
WorldVision-Zimbabwe
December 05, 2008

The Zimbabwe government has declared the country's cholera outbreak a national emergency and has appealed to the donor community for assistance. The outbreak has claimed 563 lives from more than 12500 cases recorded since August. The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa declared the emergency and appealed for resources in the health sector. He said the malfunction of central hospitals had worsened the situation. Appeals have been made for medicine, laboratory equipment, surgical sundries, renal and laundry equipment, x-ray films and boilers, as well as food to feed patients.

In response to the government appeal, World Vision Zimbabwe has accepted response leadership in the three provinces of Matebeleland South, Bulawayo and Mashonaland Central, effectively becoming the provincial UN health cluster coordinator and focal contact for government, humanitarian agencies and the WHO.

"The leadership role entails the collation and sharing of surveillance data, monitoring and general information management. WV Zimbabwe will also coordinate food aid, hygiene promotion, water and sanitation activities by all humanitarian players at provincial level," said Mr Wilfred Sikukula, the Cholera Response Manager for WV Zimbabwe.

World Vision has set up a cholera response unit and is scaling up interventions in all programme areas, especially those where cholera has been reported. Response kits have been purchased and pre-positioned in projects as well as in all district health centres where WV Zimbabwe is present. Plans have been put in place to drill and rehabilitate boreholes in all health centres.

Cholera has affected nine of the ten provinces of Zimbabwe with a fatality rate of up to 50 percent in some areas.

Visit the World Vision-Zimbabwe fact sheet

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