Cholera reappears in Nampula

Maputo, 8 Aug (AIM) – Cholera has reappeared in the northern Mozambican city of Nampula, with 120 cases reported in the last few days, one of whom died.

According to Geraldino Avelinho, of the Nampula Provincial Health Service, cited in Tuesday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”, the death occurred on Saturday, and the victim was a 15 year old homeless boy, who was living on the streets.

He died 15 minutes after entering the Cholera Treatment Centre, on the outskirts of the city.

The Treatment Centre has been activated because of the current spike in cholera cases. Avalinho said that currently 24 patients are undergoing treatment in the Centre.

80 per cent of the cases are from the Carrupeia neighbourhood, one of the parts of the city with serious problems of access to drinking water. The population of Carrupeia resort to water from traditional wells, which is unsafe to drink. Untreated drinking water easily leads to the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera.

Earlier in the year, cholera outbreaks were declared in five Nampula districts – namely Nacala, Memba, Nampula, Eráti and Meconta. The first two of these districts have recently been declared free of the disease, but some of the parameters fixed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) need to be met before Erati and Meconta too can be declared free of cholera.

The major concern now is with Nampula city and the surrounding area.

(AIM)

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