Mozambique: At least 23 dead, 30 injured due to cholera misinformation – police

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Mozambique: At least 23 dead, 30 injured due to cholera misinformation – police

12:20 CAT | 19 Jan 2024

Photo: Sala da Paz

At least 23 people have died and another 30 have been injured due to a wave of misinformation about cholera in Mozambique, the commander-general of the Mozambican police, Bernardino Rafael, has said.

“The police were called to intervene in 27 violent cases related to cholera,” in which community leaders were the main victims, said the commander-general of the Mozambique police (PRM), during a press conference in Ressano Garcia, in Maputo province on Wednesday.

In addition to the dead and wounded, 91 infrastructures were vandalised, mainly those of the government and community authorities, he said.

According to the commander-general, some Mozambican police officers were also victims during the skirmishes, when they were trying to guarantee public order and security.

Despite what happened, “we remain steadfast in guaranteeing order and security so that the country can enjoy peace, harmony, tranquillity, well-being and, above all, harmony among Mozambicans themselves,” said the commander-general.

The majority of community leaders and health technicians who have been killed or wounded by people on allegations that they were bringing the disease to the communities.

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Between May and November, at least 16 people were arrested in Sofala province, in the centre of Mozambique, for passing on misinformation about cholera, the authorities said.

According to the most recent bulletin on the progression of the disease, drawn up by the National Directorate of Public Health and with data up to 7 January, there had been a total of 8,793 cases of cholera in the country since 1 October, with 25 deaths, five more than the data up to 2 January, when there were still 8,266 cases.

Cholera is a treatable disease that causes severe diarrhoea and can lead to death from dehydration if not treated promptly.

The disease is largely caused by the ingestion of contaminated food and water due to a lack of sanitation networks.

In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the world will have a shortage of cholera vaccines by 2025 and that one billion people in 43 countries could be infected with the disease, pointing to Mozambique as one of the countries most at risk in October.

Mozambique is considered to be one of the countries most severely affected by climate change in the world, a situation that aggravates the lack of infrastructure and services to prevent the disease.

Source: AFP