Mozambique vaccinates more than 2.2 million people against cholera in five days

Mozambique’s health authorities have vaccinated more than 2.2 million people against cholera in five days in areas hardest hit by the current outbreak, achieving nearly full coverage compared to planned.

Speaking to Lusa this Monday, the head of the Expanded Vaccination Program of the Ministry of Health, Leonildo Nhampossa, said that a total of 2,268,548 people in four provinces were vaccinated against cholera between January 8 and 12, over 1 year of age.

This “corresponds to 100 percent coverage. The set goals have been fully achieved,” he said.

The target population for this vaccination operation was 2,271,136 people, which corresponds to the population living in the most vulnerable areas and the focus of the current outbreak, as previously mentioned by the Ministry of Health.

According to the National Directorate of Public Health, the campaign targeted populations aged one year and older and was carried out in the districts of Curé and Montepuez (Cabo Delgado province), Gila, Gurue and Mocuba (Zambezia). Magoe, Moatise and Zumbo (Tete) and Maringe (Sofala).

This vaccination campaign mobilized 1,136 teams consisting of 7,337 employees including vaccinators, mobilizers, registrars, supervisors, coordinators, data entry staff, logisticians and drivers, among others, at a cost of approximately $1.3 million (1 .19 million euros) with state funds. and cooperation partners Mozambique.

Mozambican health authorities have recorded almost 270 new cases of cholera across the country in one week, according to official Ministry of Health data consulted by Lusa this Monday.

According to the latest disease development bulletin prepared by the National Directorate of Public Health and containing data as of January 12, a total of 9,264 cholera cases have been reported in the country since October 1, of which 25 were fatal.

No deaths from cholera were recorded during the week, but nearly 500 new cases of the disease were confirmed across the country, the bulletin said.

The death rate from the outbreak remains at 0.3%, according to the bulletin, which lists nearly 30 districts with active cholera cases.

The province most affected by the current wave of cholera outbreak is Nampula (north) with a total of 2,956 cases and 12 deaths, followed by Tete (northwest) with 1,878 cases and six deaths.

This campaign included vaccination at fixed posts in medical institutions and mobile teams in pre-determined places with the highest concentration of population, such as markets, football fields, meeting places, administrative post headquarters, populated areas and others.