Zimbabwe rolled out an Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO), targeting people above the age of one.

The OCV was launched in one of the hard-hit suburbs in Harare, Kuwadzana, on Monday, 29 January 2024.

Cholera is spread by contaminated food or water and often occurs in crowded urban areas with poor sanitation facilities.

According to the Health minister, Douglas Mombeshora, the campaign is targeting 2,3 million people, with 800 doses having been received so far.

Administered orally, the vaccine offers protection for at least six months. Beginning in Kuwadzana near Harare, Health workers, focus on schoolchildren and door-to-door initiatives.

The campaign will be done door-to-door and in schools.

The next batch of doses is expected on February 5.

Harare City Health Director, Prosper Chonzi urged citizens to get vaccinated and said the vaccine is safe.

“Its effectiveness is 100 percent. Its safety is 100 percent so we urge everyone to come forward and get vaccinated. It is for free,” he said.

The outbreak, ongoing since February 2023, has claimed over 400 lives and infected more than 20,000 individuals.

In November 2023, the Zimbabwean government moved to restrict public gatherings and food vending and monitor burials in areas affected by cholera after cases spiked.

The campaign acts as a crucial preventive measure against cholera in crowded urban areas with sanitation challenges.