The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society activates its EAP for cholera to protect communities

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society has activated its simplified early action protocol (EAP) for cholera following a rise in cases in Rushinga District. This is the first time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society has activated an EAP for cholera.

The actions now being implemented aim to reduce the risk of a wider cholera outbreak, particularly among vulnerable households in high-density urban communities and peri-urban informal settlements in Harare, which is near to Rushinga District. Overall, the actions are expected to reach 61,780 people.

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society has already begun reorienting 100 of its volunteers to carry out preventive actions before the disease spreads further:

• Volunteers have undertaken simulation exercises for the setup of oral rehydration points, water-quality surveillance and household-water treatment.
• Once deployed, they will engage with at-risk communities through door-to-door sensitization campaigns that promote protective-hygiene practices.
• These campaigns will also support the early detection of cases through water monitoring, in collaboration with the City of Harare health authorities.

The simplified EAP was triggered after 15 cholera cases, including confirmed local transmission, were reported in Rushinga District; these were linked to cross-border transmission from Mozambique. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is supporting the actions with 115,501 Swiss francs (around 150,400 US dollars/126,700 euros) from the Anticipatory Pillar of its Disaster Response Emergency Fund.

This activation marks an important milestone in anticipatory action for cholera in Zimbabwe. The actions being carried out will strengthen preparedness, enhance early detection and control, and build communities’ resilience to a cholera outbreak.

Cross-border cooperation

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society is cooperating with partners in Mozambique to contain the cholera outbreak. A coordination meeting with the Mozambique Red Cross Society on 16 February was used to share updates on the situation in both countries and to propose response actions. Noting the absence of a formal cross-border coordination platform, this meeting was also an opportunity to recommend that the respective ministries of health take the lead in establishing and managing cross-border coordination, with the National Societies providing technical backstopping support in their auxiliary role.

Both countries were encouraged to initiate community-level interventions, including active-cholera-case finding, the implementation of Red Cross case-area targeted intervention activities, and efforts to strengthen case management. Further cross-border meetings and updates were also encouraged.