Since December, 2,464 cases of the disease have been diagnosed – 1,130 in Tete, 986 in Nampula and 348 in Niassa.
Tete is giving most cause for concern. While the outbreaks in Nampula and Niassa seem to be under control, in Tete city an average of 75 new cases a day are being diagnosed. Over the past week 19 people died of cholera in the city, and in the nearby town of Moatize.
The Tete provincial chief doctor, Mulassua Simango, cited by the independent television station STV, said that the main cause of the death was that cholera victims had delayed in going to the nearest health centre. Cholera treatment centres have now been activated in Tete and Moatize, and Simango urged people experiencing possible cholera symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting) to seek medical assistance immediately.
At a Monday press conference, the Assistant National Director of Public Health, Benigna Matsinhe, warned that all provinces are at risk. She pointed out that cholera is highly contagious, and travelers can easily carry it from one part of the country to another. Cholera is a water borne disease, and spreads rapidly under conditions of poor sanitation and hygiene, worsened by torrential rains. The Mozambican rainy season continues until the end of March.
The obsolete water supply system in Tete city is believed to have helped spread the disease, and practices such as defecating in the open air are also highly damaging to public health.
The Health Ministry is thus urging strengthened measures of individual and collective hygiene, including disinfecting houses, and treating the traditional wells used to supply drinking water.
Post published in: Africa News