UNICEF seeks 17.5 mln usd to tackle Zimbabwe cholera epidemic

EPIDEMICS

A Zimbabwean family bury their relative Betty Bvute who died of cholera in Seke Chitungwiza, 25km from Harare, Zimbabwe, on December 08, 2008. The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has already cost 575 lives according to official statistics, but doctors' groups warn the toll could be twice that. The problem has been exacerbated by the closure of major state hospitals because of shortages of staff and medecines. Photo courtesy AFP.

by Staff Writers
Geneva (AFP) Dec 9, 2008
The United Nations children's fund said Tuesday it needed 17.5 million dollars (13.6 million euros) to tackle the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe amid warnings tens of thousands of people could perish.

"Zimbabwe is grappling with a cholera crisis of unprecedented levels," UNICEF said in a press briefing.

"During the past eight weeks the crisis has rapidly deteriorated as the basic service delivery system collapsed. Schools and hospitals are closing, patients cannot access health care, teachers, nurses and doctors are not able to come to work," it said.

The UN estimates that 589 people have died of cholera in Zimbabwe as of December 5 with 13,960 suspected cases declared.

However the world body's chief humanitarian aid body stressed that these figures are based on the number of people reporting to health centres in the poverty-stricken country -- and that as many health centres are no longer operational, the actual toll is likely to be higher.

The World Health Organisation said that in a worst-case scenario, up to 60,000 people could become infected -- in line with a previous forecast by UNICEF's top official in the country.

"The health-cluster assessment in a worst-case scenario is 60,000 cases," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told journalists.

UNICEF said it had moved to "full emergency mode" and developed a 120-day emergency response plan focused on relief efforts and the provision of basic social services, for which it would need 17.5 million dollars.

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EPIDEMICS

Public security forces undermine China's HIV fight: rights group

Beijing (AFP) Dec 9, 2008
The harassment and imprisonment of drug users in China is undermining the country's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activist group Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

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