Overview:
The Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Southern Africa (OCHA ROSA), UNICEF and the World Health Organisation convened a Regional Cholera Workshop for southern Africa from 19-20 February 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants of theworkshop included key UN and civil society partners from the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Support Office (RIACSO) as well as UN country Team (UNCT) representatives from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The workshop was organized in response to the more than 80,000 cholera cases reported in nine countries in the region. Trans-border infections originating from Zimbabwe have been recorded in South Africa, Botswana and to some extent in Zambia and Mozambique. Cholera is becoming endemic (recurrent all year) in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi. Zimbabwe remains the most critical situation.
Given this, the Regional Cholera workshop objectives were the following:
- Build a common understanding of the cholera crisis in the region, including compounding factors, such as floods and cyclones, chronic food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, political instability and insufficient service delivery;
- Develop a comprehensive and shared analysis of risk factors and possible scenarios;
- Update Inter-Agency Standing Committee priorities, in support of Governments, for preparedness against this evolving backdrop;
- Identify possible material, financial and human resource gaps and plans to address these gaps;
- Elaborate a common strategy to engage SADC in addressing the crisis.
For more information about the workshop view: Presentations section below.