GENEVA, March 23 (Reuters) - The cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe seems to have passed its worst, with both the number of new infections and the rate of fatalities falling, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.
The number of new cases in the week ended March 14 was 2,076 -- still high, but down from 3,812 the week before and over 8,000 infections a week at the start of February, the WHO, a United Nations agency based in Geneva, said in a statement.
The weekly fatality rate fell to 2.3 percent in the week ended March 14 from a peak near 6 percent in January, it said.
"While data collection and verification remain a challenge throughout the country with the effect that weekly statistics are not always accurate or complete, the overall trend over the last 2 months is of a decreasing number of cases and deaths," the WHO said.
As of March 17, a total of 91,164 cases with 4,037 deaths had been reported since the start of the current outbreak in August 2008, it said.
Earlier this month new Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said that official figures probably dramatically underestimated the real number of infections and deaths.
Cholera is a water-borne diarrhoeal disease that spreads through contaminated food and water. It is easily preventable and treatable but can cause severe dehydration and death.
Zimbabwe's health system has all but collapsed in the country's economic crisis, with hospitals battling shortages of drugs, high cases of HIV/AIDS and nurses and doctors frequently on strike for higher pay.
The deadliest outbreak of cholera in Africa in 15 years has spread to neighbouring countries including South Africa. (For the WHO statement go to: here ) (For more information on humanitarian crises and issues visit www.alertnet.org ) (Reporting by Jonathan Lynn; Editing by Robert Evans)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that the cholera outbreak that has struck the African country of Zimbabwe seems to have passed its peak.

The WHO said that "while data collection and verification remain a challenge throughout the country with the effect that weekly statistics are not always accurate or complete, the overall trend over the last 2 months is of a decreasing number of cases and deaths.

"The situation with the current cholera outbreak is improving. The overall trend over the last two months is of a decreasing number of cases and deaths," the WHO said.

The number of new cholera cases in the week ending March 14 was 2,076, almost half of the 3,812 infections reported the week before, and 8,000 per week in the beginning of February. The WHO stated that the fatality rate per week dropped from a peak of 6% in January to 2.3% this month.

91,164 total cases were reported as of March 17 since the epidemic started in August of last year, with a total of 4,307 deaths. The cholera epidemic is the deadliest in Africa for a decade and a half.