Mozambican health authorities have confirmed another 245 cases of cholera and three deaths in less than two weeks. mainly in Nampula provinceaccording to health ministry data analyzed by Lusa this Monday.
According to the daily disease progression bulletins produced by the National Directorate of Public Health, the current cholera outbreak in Mozambique records a total of 33,821 cases from September 14 to August 12 last.
On the first day of August, there were 33,576 cases causing 141 deaths so far. Meanwhile, according to the same data, three more deaths were recorded in Nampula province due to the disease – which is occurring a mortality rate of 0.4% -, with 26 patients hospitalized on August 12.
In Nampula, 217 new cases of cholera were recorded from August 1 to 12, bringing the province’s total to 3,153, with six deaths, half of them after August 6.
At the end of July, Mozambican health authorities declared cholera outbreaks in two more districts, Mocímboa da Praia and Mueda, in Cabo Delgado province, joining two other assets, and admitted concern about the increase in cases in the north of that province.
Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, has recorded 1,221 cases since September last year, with three deaths. The new cases discovered in the country in recent days are mainly concentrated in that province, which has been hit by insurgent attacks for the past five years.
Until August 12, most cases of cholera in Mozambique were recorded in Zambézia province, in the center of the country (13,400 diagnosed and 38 deaths). Sofala (7,527 cases and 30 deaths) and Niassa (3,501 cases and 25 deaths), but without registering new cases for several days.
In Maputo on 13 July, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, highlighted the efforts of Mozambique and the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, to stop this cholera epidemic.
For the WHO director-general, the Mozambican executive had remarkable management of the epidemic, which was exacerbated by the impact of Cyclone Freddy.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most affected by climate change in the world, a situation that exacerbates the resistance of infrastructures and services that prevent the disease.
Cholera is a disease that causes severe diarrhea, which is treatable, but can cause death from dehydration if not treated quickly.
Much of the disease is caused by the ingestion of food and water contaminated by lack of sanitation.
In May, the WHO warned that the world will be short of cholera vaccines by 2025 and that one billion people in 43 countries could become infected with the disease.
Source: DN
