Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
2 December 2008
New York — Zimbabwe is battling its worst cholera epidemic in over a decade, prompting the United Nations World Health Organization to call for USD2 million for a three-month emergency response.
The disease has killed 473 people, and more than 11,700 cases have been recorded since August, WHO reported on Monday.
Health supplies, water purification equipment, portable diagnostic kits and trained personnel are needed to combat the outbreak.
"Cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe have occurred annually since 1998, but previous epidemics never reached today's proportions," WHO said in its latest update. "The last outbreak was in 1992 with 3,000 cases recorded."
WHO has been airlifting emergency stocks from the UN Humanitarian Resource Depot in Dubai and mobilizing additional drugs and supplies through the WHO country office in South Africa as well as deploying a full outbreak and investigation response team, including logisticians, epidemiologists, communications officers and specialists in water and sanitation.
Cholera, an acute intestinal infection caused by food or water contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae, has a short incubation period of less than one to five days and causes copious, painless, watery diarrhoea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not promptly given.
WHO is seeking to reduce the epidemic's spread by ensuring access to safe water and maintaining safe isolation and infection controls in health centres, and to reduce mortality through early detection and improved access to health care and feeding support.
Zimbabwe is mired in a crisis brought about by a confluence of factors, including three years of failed harvests, bad governance and hyperinflation.
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Rhodesia was once a beautiful country so long ago and I remember it well. My first ex and I first lived in the Capitol of Rhodesia that was once Salisbury and then we lived in Bulawayo at Llwellin Barracks. Rhodesia will always be Rhodesia to me and I don't recognize it as Zimbabwe and I don't recognize the government of Zimbabwe either. When my first ex and I lived over there- there was no cholera epidemic, no starvation, no aids epidemic, and no tryrant ruling Rhodesia. God Save Rhodesia and God Save All The Eurofolks of Rhodesia. The Fall of Rhodesia is no thanks to James Earl Carter Jr, that racist traitor. He Helped also to depose the Sha of Iran.
People may call me a racist like TexasBob, but atleast we know the truth and it will set us free.
From the beautiful, vibrant growing country of Rhodesia, this country of Zimbabwe has become a poor, third world, back water, lawless as Somalia, racked by Cholera and Anthrax, and starving to death. No water, no medicine, no doctors and no money. Just JANU-pf thugs and Comrade Bob and his pretty uniforms. Yes I'm sure the regulars on here will call me a racist. OK, but it sickens my heart to see such a beautiful place totally trashed. It is amazing to see how locals can foul their own nest. When I was kicked out, I was admonished it was for the betterment of black Zim's. I wonder how many are still alive....not many. I am very sad but very alive and doing well. Y'all can hate the Rhodies, but at least we did things right. We had running, clean water....