WORLD> Africa
Cholera cases in Zimbabwe on decline
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-17 16:41

HARARE -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has said cholera cases have been on a steady decline throughout Zimbabwe since November 24 despite new outbreaks recorded in Chegutu and Chirundu in the central and northern part of the country, The Herald reported on Wednesday.

The revelations are contained in the organisation's weekly bulletin.

A five-member team of experts from the WHO headquarters in Geneva is currently in Zimbabwe, and is working with its country team to help Zimbabwe contain the outbreak.

WHO has finalized a million-dollar proposal to create a Cholera Command and Control Center to combat the epidemic.

The team that has been to Budiriro, Norton and Epworth in Harare is scheduled to visit Chitungwiza and other areas that have not reported any cases to fully strategize on how to curb new outbreaks.

Chegutu, a town about 100 kilometers west to Harare, with the highest case fatalities recorded in the past week, had 133 deaths and 746 cases as of Tuesday while Chirundu has three unconfirmed cases.

The Chegutu outbreak has been attributed to contaminated water pipes damaged by water poachers.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Taskforce to Combat Cholera, Dr Ignatius Chombo, has called for accuracy and reliability with statistics on the epidemic that has killed 926 people.