Mozambique: 42 dead in worsening cholera outbreak
By Campaigns | March 15, 2010
Mozambique’s Ministry of Health spokesperson Leonardo Chavane said on 13th March that the country’s current cholera outbreak has so far killed 42 people in the northern and central provinces. Since the beginning of the year, the highly contagious yet easily preventable disease has been spreading steadily with more than 2,600 cases reported. The worst hit provinces are Zambezia and Cabo Delgado, with 1,099 and 959 cases registered respectively. Other provinces affected are Niassa, Sofala and Nampula.
The situation has been exacerbated by the recent flooding in Mozambique’s central provinces. New cases of cholera have been reported on a daily basis as water supplies have been submerged in the floods, increasing the likelihood of contamination and providing an ideal breeding ground for cholera-causing bacteria.
The Health Ministry as well as several humanitarian organisations are currently working to supply affected communities with purification tablets to keep the infection under control. Furthermore, a red alert has been declared in the areas around the Zambezi river and thousands of people are currently being evacuated from the rising waters.
Topics: News | No Comments »