UNFPA donates US$250 000 worth of goods for choler...

UNFPA donates US$250 000 worth of goods for cholera response

UNFPA Zimbabwe Representative, Miranda Tabifor (second from right) hands over part of the equipment and supplies to Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora (far right) while other officials look on

Munyaradzi Blessing Doma

ZIM NOW CORRESPONDENT

The United Nations Population Fund has donated equipment and supplies worth US$250 000 for the country’s cholera prevention and response.

The equipment, which includes tents, cholera beds, maternity and dignity kits, were handed to the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, by UNFPA Zimbabwe Representative, Miranda Tabifor in Harare on Monday.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Tabifor said: “Cholera response falls within our humanitarian portfolio and it’s really a privilege to handover this equipment and supplies which amount to over a quarter of a million dollars, to support what the government is doing.

“I know the government has been working hard with other partners and it is a privilege for the UNFPA to hand over this equipment and supplies where we have tents, which are going to be used as part of the supplies.

“We have about 30 tents that are going to be used as part of the supplies, we have maternity kits, we have dignity kits. We have other equipment that we are going to be giving. We hope these supplies are going to be meet some of the needs that you have been mobilising other partners to support the government; mostly because it has been a long time that this epidemic has been in the country.

“So, it’s a pleasure for the UNFPA since it falls in our humanitarian response, we are very happy that today we able to provide these supplies.

“We hope it’s going to actually reach the beneficiaries and we commit to support the ministry towards the distribution of these equipment and supplies across the cholera established treatment centres in the country,” said Tabifor.

She also reiterated her organisation’s support and commitment to the government adding, “we commend the leadership of the ministry through the minister himself and the able team.”

In his acceptance speech, Dr Mombeshora commended the donation from UNFPA which he said was coming at a time country had had 32 000 cases of cholera and about 603 deaths, as he said they (deaths) were “quite a huge number because these are lives that should not have been lost because cholera is a preventable disease.”

He said the country has had several partners in its cholera response as he appreciated the huge consignment of equipment and supplies, which were donated by UNFPA, adding they will go a long way in the country’s fight against cholera.

Minister Mombeshora added that though the country was witnessing a decline in cholera cases, there were still some areas, which needed such interventions.

He added: “For the first time, we witnessing commodities that are targeted to the vulnerable and we really appreciate that kind of gesture.”

The US$250 000 equipment and supplies included 30 tents, 150 cholera beds, 516 dignity kits, 520 maternity kits and 3 000 aqua tabs.