UNICEF commends the Government of Zimbabwe for its leadership in ending the cholera outbreak

Harare, 8 August 2024 – The cholera outbreak that impacted Zimbabwe from February 2023 has now been officially declared over by the Government. UNICEF commends the Government of Zimbabwe for its leadership and decisive actions in responding to and ending the outbreak. As we celebrate the end of the epidemic, UNICEF remains committed to supporting with its partners the Government in promoting access to clean water and good hygiene practices in communities.

The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe resulted in 34,550 cases and more than 700 confirmed or suspected deaths. After 28 days without any new cholera case, the Government declared the outbreak officially over.

UNICEF applauds the effective Government-led intersectoral response, which included interventions in health, water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, education, child protection, and communication. We recognize the efforts of many national and international partners, and the instrumental role played by communities and their leaders, including traditional leaders, in combating cholera. UNICEF also extends its gratitude to the donor community for their generous support of the Government's response.

Throughout the cholera outbreak, UNICEF and its partners supported the Government of Zimbabwe by providing emergency health supplies, technical and operational support for cholera vaccination campaigns, and critical water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies to at-risk communities. UNICEF also facilitated the training of health workers on case management, surveillance, and infection control in treatment facilities, and organized communication campaigns to promote health and hygiene measures to prevent cholera and the importance of early medical treatment, particularly for children.

As the cholera outbreak is now officially over, UNICEF will continue to support the Government through its water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes and social and behavioral change initiatives, to strengthen access to clean water and promote preventive behaviours as key interventions to prevent new cases of cholera.

UNICEF's support to the Government-led cholera response in Zimbabwe was funded by multiple donors, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the Health Resilience Fund (HRF) — a Zimbabwean pooled fund supported by the Governments of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance — Japan, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and UNICEF Global Humanitarian Funding. Additionally, UNICEF received in-kind support from private sector partners such as Alliance Media & JCDecaux for digital billboards, and Cash-In-Kind logistics support for commodities from the United Parcel Service (UPS) Foundation.