UN: Zimbabwe in worst ever cholera outbreak

Source: Xinhua | 01-16-2009 09:28

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, which has claimed more than 2,200 lives, is spiraling out of control, a UN news release said Thursday.

Humanitarian agencies are boosting their activities to tackle the challenge, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

The agencies are now supporting 172 cholera treatment centers throughout the country, promoting awareness of the disease through information campaigns and helping set up operational frameworks for cholera command centers and rapid response teams, the OCHA said.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's food security situation is becoming increasingly difficult as the lean season sets in, the UN office added.

The disease, caused by contaminated food or water, has affected all 10 of Zimbabwe's provinces, and nearly 90 percent of the country's 62 local districts, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Editor:Zhang Yun