GENEVA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe is launching a campaign to protect 1.4 million people at high risk of cholera with oral vaccination, as part of its efforts to control the outbreak of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
With the WHO's help, Zimbabwe declared the immunization drive in the country's capital Harare earlier last month, in which the vaccines would be sourced from the global stockpile funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
The campaign will be rolled out in two rounds, focusing on the most heavily affected suburbs in Harare and Chitungwiza, which is 30 km southeast of the capital city. To ensure longer-term immunity to the population, a second dose of the vaccine will be provided in all areas during a second round to be implemented at a later stage.
"The current cholera outbreak is geographically concentrated in the densely populated suburbs of Harare," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa.
"We have a window of opportunity to strike back with the oral cholera vaccine now, which along with other efforts will help keep the current outbreak in check and may prevent it from spreading further into the country and becoming more difficult to control," Moeti said.
Meanwhile, the WHO will also provide cholera supplies of oral rehydration salts, intravenous fluids and antibiotics sufficient to treat 6,000 people.
Zimbabwe has experienced frequent outbreaks of cholera, with the largest outbreak occurring from August 2008 to May 2009 and claiming more than 4,000 lives.
