HARARE, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwe Health
Cluster has completed a 19 million U.S. dollars Cholera Outbreaks Coordinated
Preparedness and Operation Plan to enable the country to mount a predictable and
coordinated response to the epidemic, The Herald reported on Thursday.
The cluster was constituted by Zimbabwe's Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, Office
for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance, World Vision, the
international Organization for Migration, Doctors Without Borders from Spain,
Holland, Luxembourg and local nongovernmental organizations.
Health and Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa
said the Zimbabwe government welcomes the operational plan, hoping it will help
arrest the epidemic.
"The ministry directed the strategies and needs that
will be taken by health partners while the partners mobilize resources for the
battle against cholera. It means whatever happens in the country is in terms of
the national policy on health in line with the 'three ones' which are, one
national strategy, one coordinating system and one monitoring and evaluating
system," he said.
All the practices and responses are directed by the
government, which is the custodian of the country's health system.
In the report, the cluster plan gives priority to
strengthening the coordination process, reducing the spread of the disease
through increased epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, ensuring access
to potable water and sanitation, safe isolation and infection control practices
in health care facilities and strengthening community mobilization.
It also aims to reduce mortality through ensuring
early detection of cases, easy access to health care, including availability of
oral rehydration solution at community and household levels as well as case
management and feeding practices for cholera patients.
An estimated 3.8 million U.S. dollars of the amount
has been earmarked for surveillance, information management and coordination, a
further 11.2 million U.S. dollars for stockpiling and responding to cholera and
other health emergencies.
Procurement of equipment and supplies to strengthen
outbreak investigation, monitoring and evaluation capacity will need 348,000
U.S. dollars while water, sanitation, hygiene and infection control in health
facilities get 4 million U.S. dollars of the budgeted money.
The cluster blames the cholera outbreak on lack of
clean water, lack of sanitation, the declining health care infrastructure and
suggests a quick solution on the health crisis.
It says there is an urgent need to reinforce the
health sector as the compromised health delivery system is making it difficult
to implement suggested control measures.
The health cluster hopes to urgently come up with a
functional early warning system, capacitating district and provincial
laboratories to enable additional testing facilities.
National and provincial emergency stocks of medicine
and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies will be established to allow a
quicker response, as well as emergency reserve fund to facilitate the deployment
of personnel.
Partners will provide daily updates of their
operations to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and WHO. An inventory and
report on the available medical stocks and supplies for national, provincial and
Cholera Treatment Centers (CTC) will also be made and updated weekly.
The cluster intends to make available treatment kits
within 24 hours of confirmed cholera outbreaks before setting a treatment center
based on set world standards.
"At least 90 percent of personnel working in cholera
treatment centers should have patient management training. Material, drugs,
technical guidance and supportive supervision will be provided to clinics
located in areas of the outbreak," says the plan.
The plan mandates the humanitarian and development
agencies with mobilization of funds for emergency interventions while the
Cholera Command and Control Center will establish reserve funds to fill gaps for
operational support.
