By Lulu Brenda Harris
After congratulating Zimbabwe on successfully ending the cholera outbreak, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has pledged continued support to the government’s efforts to improve access to clean water and promote basic hygiene practices.
The cholera outbreak, which began in Chegutu town in Mashonaland West on February 12, 2023, resulted in over 34,550 cases and more than 700 confirmed or suspected deaths. The last case was reported on June 30, 2024, in Beitbridge, Matabeleland South, and the government officially declared an end to the outbreak on July 30, 2024.
John Mokwetsi, UNICEF’s Communication Officer (OIC Chief of Communications), highlighted the government’s effective response and the crucial role played by developmental partners, including communities, in ending the cholera outbreak.
“UNICEF commends the Government of Zimbabwe for its leadership and decisive actions in ending the cholera outbreak. We recognise the efforts of many national and international partners and the instrumental role played by communities and their leaders, including traditional leaders, in combating cholera,” Mokwetsi stated.
He added that UNICEF will continue to support the government in strengthening access to clean water and promoting good hygiene practices.
Mokwetsi noted that throughout the outbreak, UNICEF and its partners provided critical support to the government’s response, including emergency health supplies, technical and operational assistance for cholera vaccination campaigns, and essential water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies to at-risk communities. UNICEF also facilitated the training of health workers in case management, surveillance, and infection control in treatment facilities, and organized communication campaigns to promote health and hygiene measures.
“As the cholera outbreak is now officially over, UNICEF will continue to support the government through its water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes, and social and behavioural change initiatives, to strengthen access to clean water and promote preventive behaviours as key interventions to prevent new cases of cholera,” Mokwetsi affirmed.
He also acknowledged the support UNICEF received from various donors, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the Health Resilience Fund (HRF), Japan, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and UNICEF Global Humanitarian Funding. In-kind support from private sector partners like Alliance Media and JCDecaux for digital billboards and logistics support from the United Parcel Service (UPS) Foundation was also instrumental.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, a total of 34,550 suspected cholera cases were recorded during the outbreak, with 3,964 confirmed cases and 33,831 recoveries. The total number of deaths was 719, including 88 culture-confirmed and 631 suspected deaths.
