The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the Zimbabwean government for its efforts to contain the nationwide cholera outbreak, efforts that have led to a steady decline in reported cases and deaths, The Herald reported on Saturday.

Speaking from Geneva, WHO head of the Global Cholera Task Force Dr Claire-Lise Chaignat said there were signs that reported cholera cases along the South African border were also stabilizing.

"We are seeing that the epidemic is now starting to decline, especially when we break down the occurrence of cases by week. We see that, in fact, during the last week, up to January 3, there was quite an important decrease in the number of cases that have been reported from all over Zimbabwe," she said.

As of Thursday, the WHO reported that cholera cases had reached 36,671 with 1,822 deaths countrywide. New outbreaks were recorded in Gokwe South and Chipinge.

Chaignat, however, expressed concerns over the possibility of a further increase in cholera during the current rainy season.

"We know that rains in this part of the world can contribute to the spread of the epidemic. And what we have to know now is that the teams and the country better organize in responding to the epidemic currently. So we hope that they will be able to manage the situation," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2009)