February 2012 Mission report Zimbabwe

Since October 2011, Harare has been stuggling to control a typhoid fever outbreak. The outbreak is related to a gradual breakdown of sanitary and water facilities over the past years. Mortality remained overall low. Laboratory data suggest the outbreak is rather caused by a mixture of different enteral pathogens. The DG ECHO financed Health and WASH consortium intervened mainly in wash activities but failed to make a difference ith the health response where MSF took a clear lead. It is clear that a more long term solution needs to be envisaged.