Zimbabwe declares end to prolonged Cholera outbreak

ZIMBABWE—The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), has officially declared the end of a prolonged cholera outbreak that began on February 12, 2023.

This announcement was made in accordance with the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) guidelines after the country reported no new cholera cases for more than four consecutive weeks.

In a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Zimbabwe, Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, the Permanent Secretary of MoHCC, emphasized that Zimbabwe’s 18-month-long response has successfully eradicated cholera, which initially emerged in Chegutu District.

He attributed this achievement to the collaborative efforts between the MoHCC, WHO, and other partners, who played a pivotal role in combating the outbreak.

Over 200,000 individuals from the most vulnerable communities were vaccinated against cholera throughout the campaign.

The vaccination campaign covered 22 wards across eight districts, including Chegutu, Chiredzi, Chitungwiza, Masvingo, Mhondoro-Ngezi, Mutare Rural, Mt Darwin, and Sanyati.

These areas, characterized by significant artisanal mining activities and limited access to safe water and sanitation facilities, were identified as high-risk zones.

The multifaceted interventions successfully contained the outbreak, with the last reported case of cholera on June 30, 2024.

This cholera outbreak resulted in 34,549 suspected cases, of which 4,217 were confirmed, and 33,831 recoveries were recorded.

Unfortunately, 718 deaths were reported, with 87 confirmed in the laboratory and 631 suspected, pointing to a case fatality rate of 2.1%.

WHO’s support was instrumental in Zimbabwe’s response to the outbreak, with the organization providing essential medical supplies worth close to US$1 million, which were handed over to MoHCC to boost response activities.

Additionally, cholera treatment centres and units were established, and 4,083 health workers were trained in various aspects, including case management, water quality testing, laboratory testing, and infection prevention and control within the cholera treatment centres (CTCs).

WHO also played a key role in partner coordination, ensuring optimal resource utilization and preventing duplication of efforts.

Moreover, the WHO supports risk communication and community engagement initiatives to raise awareness about cholera prevention and treatment.

The organization also provided critical support for the two rounds of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaigns, which resulted in the administration of over 2.4 million doses of OCV.

In addition, WHO offered technical expertise and deployed personnel to enhance Zimbabwe’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to the epidemic.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa and Headquarters deployed 14 surge experts, while 12 WHO Zimbabwe staff were repurposed to strengthen the cholera response.

While celebrating this significant milestone, Dr Desta Tiruneh, WHO Representative to Zimbabwe, acknowledged the challenges ahead.

He emphasized the need to strengthen the health system and invest in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to prevent future outbreaks.

Dr. Tiruneh also highlighted the importance of building on the lessons learned from this experience to create a more resilient health system.