APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe has launched a vaccination campaign against cholera as the country battles to contain an outbreak that has claimed more than 400 lives in the past 11 months.
The campaign was launched by Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora on Monday during an event in Harare’s Kuwadzana suburb, one of the most affected areas of the current cholera outbreak.
The event was attended by World Health Organisation country representative Jean-Marie Dangou and her UNICEF counterpart Tajudeen Oyewale.
Zimbabwe has recorded more than 20,000 suspected cholera and more than 400 confirmed and suspected deaths since the first cases were recorded in February 2023.
A multisectoral cholera response plan led by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with other government ministries and supported by UNICEF, WHO and partners and donors has been rolled out focusing on streamlining response coordination at all levels.
The response plan also targets treatment of infected people and prevention of the spread of the disease through improved access to safe water, sanitation, personal and food hygiene and the dissemination of preventive messages to population most at risk.
The cholera vaccines are an additional strategy the government is rolling out to contain the spread of cholera in Zimbabwe.
JN/APA