Harare [Zimbabwe], January 27: Zimbabwe received cholera treatment commodities and supplies worth 265,000 U.S. dollars from international organizations to combat cholera, said the country's health minister on Friday.
Stressing the high rate of cholera infections among children, Zimbabwean Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora noted that the received treatment supplies, which include antibiotics and oral rehydration salts, will cater to the children.
"Today, we thank the Health Resilient Fund, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Parcel Services Foundation and all the partners that contributed to this donation of cholera medicines and commodities worth 265,000 dollars that will go a long way to address case management of cholera cases," he said.
Of the reported cholera cases to date, 31 percent are found in those below 15 years of age, compared with 14 percent in those under five years of age, he said.
UNICEF has lately expressed concern over the high infection rates among children in Zimbabwe, noting that one in six new cholera cases in Zimbabwe affects children under five years old and calling for increased focus on children in the national cholera response.
Zimbabwe recorded a cumulative 20,446 suspected cholera cases as of Jan. 24, 2024, since the outbreak began in February last year, according to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The country is set to roll out an oral cholera vaccination campaign starting on Monday, after receiving an initial batch of 892,286 doses from the International Coordinating Group.
Source: Xinhua