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outbreaks.
Government also received 3 776 cholera beds worth US$245 440 from the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Health and Child Welfare Minister Dr Henry Madzorera thanked the organisations for filling some of the country’s gaps towards outbreak response efforts.
“We acknowledge and appreciate this support as it will go a long way in covering some of our gaps,” Dr Madzorera said.
Dr Madzorera said the equipment was sourced from the African Field Epidemiology Network through the University of Zimbabwe’s Masters of Public Health (MPH) programme.
AFENET national focal point person Mr Tafara Gombe presented the outbreak investigative laboratory kit to the Minister of Health.
Mr Gombe said the equipment will be used to detect traces of the pathogen that causes diarrhoeal diseases and are meant to assist Government curb the current typhoid outbreak.
The equipment will be pre-positioned in areas where outbreaks are likely to occur.
Last week, Health Ministry said diarrhoeal cases are on the increase compared to the same period last year.
However, cases of cholera have gone down unlike 2010 and 2009.
Since the beginning of the year, 1 119 suspected cases, 320 confirmed and 45 deaths have been recorded.
The number of deaths are however, high, with a case fatality rate of 4 percent.
The nation experienced the worst cholera outbreak between August 2009 and June 2010, with 98 585 reported cases as well as 1 357 confirmed laboratory tests and 4 287 deaths recorded with an average fatality rate of 4,3 percent.
In terms of international norms, a controlled cholera outbreak usually leads to a fatality rate of one percent or less.
The waterborne disease, characterised by watery diarrhoeal stools, vomiting and rapid dehydration can cause death within 24 hours if not treated
Online Reporter