Mozambican health authorities have recorded nearly nine thousand cases of cholera in seven provinces, Health Minister Armindo Thiago said on Thursday.
“We have about nine thousand cases of cholera throughout the country, and the vaccination system that has been created in Mozambique and around the world is the result of the lack of sufficient vaccines to carry out preventive vaccination. Therefore, what is being done is emergency prevention in those places where there is an outbreak,” Armindo Tiago told reporters after delivering medical material to the central hospital of Maputo.
According to the National Public Health Directorate, the province worst hit by the current wave of this cholera outbreak is Nampula, which has reported a total of three thousand cases and 12 deaths, followed by Tete, which has reported 1,853 cases and six deaths since October.
According to the organization, in addition to Nampula, the cholera outbreak has affected Niassa, Cabo Delgado, Zambezia, Manica, Tete and Sofala, with 30 deaths recorded since October.
The vaccination campaign launched by authorities this week aims to reach 2.2 million people in cholera-affected areas, but misinformation about the disease has become a problem for authorities, especially in rural areas.
“Right now, the biggest problem we face is misinformation,” the health minister stressed.
In December, at least five people died amid misinformation about cholera, Mozambican police commander general Bernardino Rafael said.
The victims are mainly local leaders and health workers, killed by members of the public on accusations that they were bringing cases of cholera into the communities, Bernardino Rafael explained during a rally in Chiura, Cabo Delgado, a province in which authorities have recorded several cases of cholera. these cases.
Between May and November, at least 16 people were detained in Sofala province in central Mozambique for providing erroneous information about cholera, authorities said.
Cholera is a treatable disease that causes severe diarrhea and can lead to death from dehydration if not treated promptly.
The disease is largely caused by eating contaminated food and water due to lack of sanitation facilities.
In May, the World Health Organization warned that there would be a global shortage of cholera vaccines by 2025 and that the disease could affect one billion people in 43 countries, listing Mozambique as one of the highest-risk countries in October. .
Mozambique is considered one of the countries hardest hit by climate change in the world, a situation that is worsening the resilience of infrastructure and services that prevent the disease.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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