The Zimbabwean government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched a campaign on Friday to raise awareness about cholera prevention following an outbreak that has claimed at least 120 lives this year.
The campaign was jointly sponsored by UNICEF and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and targeted cellphone users who were received text messages extolling the virtues of cleanliness during current water shortages.
Zimbabweans were encouraged to wash their hands with soap or ash after helping sick persons, using the toilet and before handling food.
The cholera alert came as a group of Zimbabwean doctors announced Friday that an estimated 120 people had died since the beginning of 2008 due to cholera.
The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights blamed the cholera outbreak on irregular water supply, burst sewage pipes and uncollected refuse in most urban areas.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority requires more than $23 billion to repair broken infrastructure and restore supplies to cities and towns which have gone for several months without water.
Source African Press Agency
