WHO Seeks Aid to Tackle Cholera in Zimbabwe

The World Health Organization needs USD2 million for its operations to help combat cholera in Zimbabwe over the next three months. The money will be used to deploy trained personnel and provide emergency health supplies, water purification equipment and portable diagnostic kits. “Cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe have occurred annually since 1998, but previous epidemics never reached today’s proportions,” according to WHO. “The last outbreak was in 1992 with 3,000 cases recorded.” More than 11,700 have contracted the disease since August this year. (“Zimbabwe: UN agency calls for USD2 million to fight cholera epidemic - United Nations, Dec. 1, 2008)