UNICEF seeks 17.5 mln usd to tackle Zimbabwe cholera epidemic

EPIDEMICS

A Zimbabwean family bury their relative Betty Bvute who died of cholera in Seke Chitungwiza, 25km from Harare, Zimbabwe, on December 08, 2008. The cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has already cost 575 lives according to official statistics, but doctors' groups warn the toll could be twice that. The problem has been exacerbated by the closure of major state hospitals because of shortages of staff and medecines. Photo courtesy AFP.

by Staff Writers
Geneva (AFP) Dec 9, 2008
The United Nations children's fund said Tuesday it needed 17.5 million dollars (13.6 million euros) to tackle the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe amid warnings tens of thousands of people could perish.

"Zimbabwe is grappling with a cholera crisis of unprecedented levels," UNICEF said in a press briefing.

"During the past eight weeks the crisis has rapidly deteriorated as the basic service delivery system collapsed. Schools and hospitals are closing, patients cannot access health care, teachers, nurses and doctors are not able to come to work," it said.

The UN estimates that 589 people have died of cholera in Zimbabwe as of December 5 with 13,960 suspected cases declared.

However the world body's chief humanitarian aid body stressed that these figures are based on the number of people reporting to health centres in the poverty-stricken country -- and that as many health centres are no longer operational, the actual toll is likely to be higher.

The World Health Organisation said that in a worst-case scenario, up to 60,000 people could become infected -- in line with a previous forecast by UNICEF's top official in the country.

"The health-cluster assessment in a worst-case scenario is 60,000 cases," WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told journalists.

UNICEF said it had moved to "full emergency mode" and developed a 120-day emergency response plan focused on relief efforts and the provision of basic social services, for which it would need 17.5 million dollars.

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

EPIDEMICS

Public security forces undermine China's HIV fight: rights group

Beijing (AFP) Dec 9, 2008
The harassment and imprisonment of drug users in China is undermining the country's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, activist group Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

INTERNET SPACE ICG Launches Global Internet Access For Business Aircraft Yahoo up on reports of new takeover bid NASA Tests First Deep-Space Internet Wired ... but frustrated	LAUNCH PAD Launch Of Ariane 5 Rocket From Kourou Postponed Ciel Satellite Group Spacecraft Ready For Launch Arianespace To Launch ViaSat-1 Russia To Launch Two Telecoms Satellites In February 2009
AEROSPACE Climate protesters cause chaos at British airport Thompson Files: Protect U.S. aerospace NASA studies pilot cognition China postpones talks with Airbus: spokesman	MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS Boeing Develops Common Software To Reduce Risk For TSAT USAF Tests Battlespace Information Solution On AC-130 Gunship Harris Awarded Contract For USAF Satellite Control Network Program LockMart Delivers Key Hardware For US Navy's Mobile User Objective System
TECH SPACE Space Foundation Recognizes Three GMV Products As Certified Space Technologies Computer industry celebrates 40 years First Muslim-friendly virtual world goes online HP offering aims at penny-pinching IT departments	APPOINTMENTS Berndt Feuerbacher New President Of IAU Orbital Appoints Frank Culbertson And Mark Pieczynski To Management Chris Smith Named Director Of Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory AsiaSat Appoints New General Manager China
EARTH OBSERVATION Making Sense Of The World From High Above Seafood Industry To Benefit From Oceansat-2 GIS Development Gives Award To Institute Of Photogrammetry UNESCO Signs Partnership With JAXA	GPS NEWS GMI Commences Shipments Of Actions Semiconductor Chipsets With GPS Function Homeland Integrated Security Systems Enters Stolen Vehicle Recovery Market Globecomm Systems Continues Support For GPS-Based Force Tracking System University Adds Personal Mobile Alarm System To Campus Safety Program

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement