Zimbabwean Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora told reporters in Harare on Wednesday that the country had recorded 20,121 suspected cholera cases and 376 deaths — six of them since Tuesday. He said the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund had secured 2.3 million cholera vaccine doses for the country, with nearly 900,000 of them to be administered next week. “The vaccination campaign is expected to start from the 29th of January in [a] phased approach to the hot spots,” he said. “The challenge is that there is a shortage of vaccines in the world because cholera is not in Zimbabwe alone. So, all other countries that have reported cholera are also getting the same vaccine from the same source. So, it’s now controlled by the WHO. Otherwise only the rich countries will wipe out the vaccines before others get them.” Mombeshora said 37 African countries had confirmed cases of cholera.
SOURCE: VOA
