Harare — The World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated drugs, medical supplies and equipment for the control of AIDS, cholera, malaria and other diseases in Zimbabwe.

Accepting the donation, which included 14 motorcycles, a motor vehicle, generators, water purification tablets, emergency health kits, and medicines, Health and Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa said Wednesday that malaria and cholera were major health challenges in the country.

He said the ministry's goal was to reverse the increasing frequency of cholera outbreaks and the associated morbidity and mortality.

"Cholera in Zimbabwe was first recorded in 1972 and after that outbreaks were recorded on a 10 year cycle.

"This trend was observed until the late 1990s where the frequency of outbreaks increased to a five-year cycle and since 2000 outbreaks have been recorded annually," said Mr Parirenyatwa.

The minister said the WHO had enabled the ministry to respond swiftly to the outbreaks in any part of the country and achieve the goal of rapid response.

The continued support of training programmes aimed at cholera prevention and control, like the participatory health and hygiene education and integrated surveillance and response, had helped improve the capacity of health workers in managing the disease, he said, adding that case fatality in the institutions had remained at less than one percent.

The outgoing WHO resident representative, Evaristo Njelesani, said that WHO was committed to improving the health standards in the country.

"WHO is geared towards the provision of maternal health care especially in emergency situations and to prevent pneumonia in children among other diseases," said Mr Njelesani, who added that the organisation would continue to provide medical kits to handle cholera, malaria and AIDS.

- BuaNews-NNN