Harare, 30 September 2009 -- The World Health Organization officially presented hundreds of bicycles and motorcycles to the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health here today to strengthen health care and disease surveillance activities throughout the country.

The 300 black bicycles and 124 bright red motor cycles were purchased with US$ 500 000 acquired by WHO via the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund. These items strengthen Zimbabwe's ability to prepare for and respond to potential health concerns, including cholera outbreaks and the pandemic H1N1 2009.

The bicycles will be given to village health workers in three districts (Chiredzi, Mt. Darwin and Mudzi) of Zimbabwe as part of a national plan supported by other Health Cluster partners to equip local health workers with the means to quickly move within their communities to provide essential health care.

Each worker will be equipped with a blue sports-like bag packed with basic health supplies, including oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, bandages and disinfectant to help deliver basic and potentially life-saving interventions.

The motorcycles will be distributed to each of Zimbabwe's 62 districts to help disease surveillance officers travel between towns and villages collecting suspected disease samples and safely taking them to laboratories for investigation.

"These items will support Zimbabwe's intensified response to the 2008-09 cholera outbreak that infected almost 100 000 people and killed about 4000," said Dr Custodia Mandlhate, WHO's representative to Zimbabwe. "WHO and the other members of the Health Cluster are determined to help the country continue to strengthen its health care system so it can provide the highest level of health care possible to all Zimbabweans."

For further information:

Wendy Julias
Communications officer
WHO Zimbabwe
Tel: 0912431408

Email: juliasw [at] zw.afro.who.int

Ida Ameda
Communications officer
WHO Zimbabwe
Tel: 0912104262
Email: amedai [at] zw.afro.who.int