Maputo — A vaccination campaign against cholera starts on Thursday), and is expected to cover over 1.7 million people.

The campaign targets the central cities of Beira. Quelimane and Chimoio, and Marromeu district on the south bank of the Zambezi.

The campaign, to be launched in Beira, will last for five days and is part of the Health Ministry's efforts to stop the spread of the disease.

The head of the surveillance department in the Ministry of Health, Domingos Guihole, cited by the Maputo daily "Noticias' said that the final preparations were under way for the campaign to run smoothly.

Health Ministry representatives have met with community leaders, and with water and sanitation teams, in order to convey the key message to be passed to the communities.

Guihole stressed that on Thursday a team that will go from door to door administering the vaccine while other Beira residents will receive the vaccine in the health units.

"Depending on the public support received on the first day of the campaign, the strategies can be changed because our goal is to cover the target people', said Guihole

According to Guihole, there was a consultation on how to handle the vaccination during the current Islamic month of Ramadan, when practicing moslems are fasting during the hours of daylight.

"The campaign will run from 07.00 to 16.00, but teams are planned to be present in the mosques, at the time of the breaking of the fast, between 17:45 and 17:50 to administer the vaccine to these people', said Guihole

The vaccines are destined to the worst hit neighborhoods with a high risk of spreading cholera and significant numbers of deaths. Overall, the country has a cumulative total of 94 deaths from cholera, in a universe of 19,094 notified cases, since September last year.