Mozambican health authorities have recorded almost 900 new cholera cases and one death in the north of the country in about ten days, according to official data that Lusa had access to this Thursday.
According to the latest disease progression bulletin prepared by the National Directorate of Public Health, which contains data up to March 19, a total of 14,274 cholera cases have been reported in Mozambique since October 1.
The previous bulletin, with data up to March 8, put the total number of cholera cases at 13,397, resulting in 30 deaths.
According to the same data, three deaths from cholera were registered in the country in March.
The death rate from the disease in Mozambique currently remains at 0.2%, but the total number of people hospitalized has risen to 94.
The province most affected by the current wave of this cholera outbreak is Nampula (north), with a total of 4,710 cases and 12 deaths, followed by Tete (northwest) with 2,657 cases and ten deaths, where the prevalence of the disease has increased to 0.4% in March.
In previous statements to Luse, the head of the Expanded Vaccination Program of the Ministry of Health, Leonildo Nhampossa, said that between January 8 and 12, 2,268,548 people over the age of 1 year were vaccinated against cholera in four provinces.
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.
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.
Last May, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that there would be a global shortage of cholera vaccines by 2025 and that one billion people in 43 countries could be infected with the disease, listing Mozambique in October as one of the countries at highest risk.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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