15 January 2008
Maputo — The vast majority of cholera cases diagnosed in the current outbreak are in Maputo and the adjoining city of Matola, according to Mozambican Health Minister Ivo Garrido.
Since the outbreak began in November, over a thousand cases have been diagnosed, and over 80 per cent of these are in Maputo and Matola.
The cholera treatment centre for the two cities has been set up in Maputo's Mavalane hospital, which is seeing between five and ten new patients a day, said Garrido, cited in Tuesday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".
However, the situation in the southern province of Gaza is also becoming alarming. The disease has been reported from the provincial capital Xai-Xai, and the districts of Chokwe and Guija. Garrido said that between 10 and 20 new cases are being reported every day.
The central city of Beira has also been struck by cholera, but here there are only two or three new cases a day. In the northern province of Cabo Delgado, the disease has been reported from the provincial capital, Pemba, and from the district of Pemba-Metuge. Garrido said four to six cases were being diagnosed per day.
Cholera has also been reported from Guro district in the central province of Manica, but the total number of cases diagnosed here is only three.
No cases of cholera have been reported from the accommodation centres established for almost 60,000 people evacuated from flood stricken areas, particularly in the Zambezi valley.
"We are working in the accommodation centres on three essential areas", said Garrido, "namely to prevent diarrhoeal diseases, prevent malaria and guarantee nutrition. To ensure this we are guaranteeing supplies of drinking water, we are building latrines, each with the capacity for at least 15 people, and we are insisting on health education".
As for malaria, Garrido said mosquito nets are being distributed in the centres, and spraying is under way against the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite.
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