The success recorded in the fight against cholera so far should not distract the country and its partners from intensifying efforts to thwart the outbreak, as more still needs to be done, Zimbabwe's Health and Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa has said.

Receiving drugs worth one million pula (US$130,000) donated by the Botswana Red Cross to the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society on Thursday, Parirenyatwa said singular efforts in the national response would collectively make an indelible impact on the national cholera response, The Herald reported on Friday.

"Let us work together so that our combined impact is greater. Together, we can make a life-saving difference for millions. The benefits of working together are far greater than the sum total of our activities as individual actors," he said.

Statistics at hand have shown that there are still some sporadic outbreaks of cholera, but generally the epidemic is under control. "This is a feat that we should be proud of, but it must never make us bask in the sunlight of victory because a lot still has to be done," he said.

Parirenyatwa said the Zimbabwe Red Cross was playing an important role by complementing Government efforts in the fight against cholera.

"There is need to harness the power of partnership as we collaborate in assisting the most vulnerable members of the community," he said.

Zimbabwe Red Cross Society president Edmore Shamu also commended the response by Government and its partners in the fight against cholera.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2009)