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The Treasury has approved a budget of US$12 million for cholera preparedness and response while orders for medicines and commodities have been placed through Natpharm, prioritizing local manufacturers to minimize lead time.
This development came out at the Cabinet meeting that was held in the capital this afternoon.
Presenting at the just-ended pre-budget seminar in the Parliament last week, Health and Childcare Minister Douglas Mombeshora revealed that the country was facing an acute shortage of medicine and drugs leaving patients at the mercy of private health facilities.
Dr Mombeshora also took the plea to the cabinet which in turn directed that there should be an intensification of Risk Communication and Community engagement including involvement of religious and local leadership, intensified school health education on cholera and other diarrheal diseases, and utilization of existing media houses and digital platforms for content dissemination be continued in all provinces, especially Chitungwiza and Buhera.
The Cabinet also recommended that there be improved safe water access to communities through rehabilitation of boreholes and drilling of new ones; and that public health measures be enforced in all communities reporting cholera cases, including restrictions of gatherings in all cholera-affected areas, and supervision of all burials in all cholera affected areas.
Screening of all travellers and awareness campaigns are ongoing at all points of entry, while health education on cholera prevention and control measures including hygiene promotion is being carried out in the provinces.
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