USAID Increases Assistance for Zimbabwe Choler...( WASHINGTON Dec. 4 -- The U.S. Govern...),Health

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional $600,000 to help combat the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. This assistance is in addition to the $4 million water, sanitation, and hygiene emergency program USAID is already implementing in Zimbabwe.

"Before cholera was widespread, USAID was working alongside the international community to prepare for the possibility of an outbreak in Zimbabwe. We began building contingencies into our ongoing emergency programs, and we are increasing our assistance to help combat the spread of the disease," said USAID administrator Henrietta H. Fore. "The United States is committed to helping the people of Zimbabwe."

USAID has also deployed a team of experts to Zimbabwe to focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene and public health interventions. The team, including an expert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will provide technical assistance and recommendations for further U.S. assistance.

This recent contribution brings the total United States humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe's food and health crisis to more than $220 million since October 2007. The U.S. is the leading food donor, providing the majority of all international food aid distributed in Zimbabwe through non-governmental organizations and the World Food Program. In addition, the U.S. contributed over $30 million last year for HIV/AIDS programs, in addition to paying for 33 percent of the Global Fund's multilateral programs.

For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance programs, please visit: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/.

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