Maputo — About 92 per cent of the target figure of 1,277,539 people have been vaccinated against cholera in the central Mozambican provinces of Sofala, Manica and Zambezia, according to the health authorities.

Cited in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias', the head of the Department of Health Surveillance, Domingos Guihole, said that the Manica provincial capital, Chimoio, had beat its target, vaccinating over 310,000 people - or 102 per cent of the target.

The vaccination campaign is over in Chimoio, Beira and Tete, but is continuing in Marromeu district, on the south bank of the Zambezi, and in the city of Quelimane, capital of Zambezia province. In both Marromeu and Quelimane, the vaccination campaign is scheduled to end on Thursday.

The vaccination brigades are finding it difficult to reach some localities in Marromeu because of the torrential rains that have been falling in the region.

The health authorities say they will continue to prioritise the neighbourhoods with the highest incidence of cholera cases, as well as the places with the heaviest flows of people, such as markets and transport terminals.

Health officials will also coordinate with the education sector to ensure that children are vaccinated against cholera in the schools.

According to the latest Health Ministry statistics, 23,603 cases of the disease have been notified since September 2022. Of these cases, 104 died, which is a lethality rate of 0.4 per cent.

Cases are still being reported from 40 districts, and the worst affected provinces are Sofala and Tete.