Increase In Diarrhoea In Maputo And Gaza May Pave Way For Cholera

Maputo, 19 Jan (AIM) – The precarious sanitation conditions and high population density in the southern Mozambican provinces of Maputo and Gaza may lead to cases of diarrhoea in the coming days with the peak of the rainy season, hence the need to be vigilant and screen for possible outbreaks of cholera, warned Domingos Guihole, head of the Health Surveillance Department at the Ministry of Health, quoted in Thursday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Notícias.”

“In Maputo City, for example, clean drinking water is available, but there are people without resources, living in poor sanitary conditions. These people are more at risk of contracting diarrhoea and even cholera if the disease is imported by a contaminated individual”, he said.

Although districts in the central and northern regions of the country are registering cholera outbreaks, the health sector is not yet considering vaccination against this disease.

“The current disease situation in the country does not require taking this measure, not to mention that the acquisition of the vaccines carries high costs”, Guihole said.

For her part, Alice de Abreu, councillor for Health and Social Welfare in the Municipality of Maputo, said that at least 1,581 patients with diarrhoea have received treatment in health units since mid-December.

The first cases of cholera in Mozambique were diagnosed in Lago district (in Niassa Province) which borders on Malawi, where there have been more than 18,000 cases in recent months and 700 cholera deaths.

To date, 1,016 cases of cholera have been notified in Niassa, Sofala and Tete. Niassa province accounts for eight of the 16 known cholera deaths in Mozambique.
(AIM)
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