Beitbridge — EIGHT more people have died in the Beitbridge cholera outbreak, bringing the death toll since Saturday last week to 44.

By yesterday afternoon, health authorities in the town had mobilised more manpower and material from other six districts in Matabeleland South Province.

Non-governmental organisations and the Civil Protection Unit have begun supplying bulk clean water to residents at strategic points.

Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa is expected to arrive in the district tomorrow to assess the impact of the pandemic while officials from South Africa's Limpopo Province are also expected to visit the affected areas.

WHO, Unicef and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have pledged financial assistance to the district.

The provincial medical director, Dr Jabulani Ndlovu, said the situation was stabilising and hoped that the outbreak would have been contained within a week.

Dr Ndlovu said they were doing everything possible to ensure that the disease will not spread.

He also called on well-wishers to assist in ensuring that there was adequate water in the district so that the disease would not recur.

Another cholera isolation centre has been set up at the IOM repatriate reception centre where two cases have been detected.