Zimbabwe Hotspots Immunised against Cholera

Highlights

•  Zimbabwe vaccinates more than 2.1 million individuals to encounter cholera outbreak

•  Cholera vaccine campaign conducted with support from WHO and UNICEF

•  The country has recorded over 27,055 suspected cholera cases with 71 confirmed deaths

More than 2.1 million Zimbabweans received a cholera vaccine as part of a single- dose reactive campaign to combat the latest outbreak of the illness. Healthcare authorities have detected new cases in all ten regions of the country.

The immunisation campaign took place in several areas in different phases and came to an end on February 22, 2024, in Harare. It targeted persons over the age of one in 26 high-risk areas across seven provinces. The vaccine doses were shipped to the country in three phases with the last batch of 66,612 arriving on February 17, 2024.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in the African Region supported teams in various provinces to supervise campaign implementation. The first phase, completed in Harare province, Masvingo, Midlands, and Mashonaland Central, achieved over 90% coverage.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care along with the assistance of WHO, UNICEF, and other partners, has also launched a multisectoral cholera response programme. It focuses on simplifying the outbreak response at all levels, as well as case treatment and prevention. The initiative includes increased access to potable water, sanitation and personal as well as food hygiene. The campaign also includes the broadcast of messages related to preventive medicine to vulnerable groups.

Response mechanisms include the establishment of cholera treatment clinics in high-risk areas along with disease surveillance and infection prevention to prevent further outbreaks.