Mozambique: Authorities registered 75 new cholera cases last week, one death

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Mozambique: Authorities registered 75 new cholera cases last week, one death

12:11 CAT | 12 Jun 2024

File photo: AIM

Mozambique’s health authorities have registered 75 new cases of cholera in the last week, which have led to one more death, according to official data that Lusa had access to on Tuesday.

According to the latest report on the progression of the disease, drawn up by the ministry of health and with data from 1 October 2023, the start of the current outbreak, to 9 June, there have been a total of 16,360 infected and 38 deaths, with a mortality rate that remains at 0.2%.

In the previous report, with data up to 3 June, there were 16,285 cases and 37 deaths.

Of the current cumulative total, 5,630 cases have been reported in Nampula province, with 15 deaths, the focus of the disease in recent weeks, followed by 2,873 in Tete, with 10 deaths, and 2,431 in Cabo Delgado, with one death.

There are currently active outbreaks of the disease in the districts of Nampula, Cabo Delgado, Sofala and Maputo and on 3 June five cholera patients were in hospital in the country, compared to 17 the previous week.

On the other hand, at least 121 people have died due to waves of misinformation about the cholera outbreak, according to official figures made public since October.

Most of the victims, 98 people, died in a single incident when, on 7 April, a boat leaving the administrative post of Lungo, in the Mossuril district of Nampula province, bound for the island of Mozambique, sank, killing 55 children, 34 women and nine men.

According to the Mozambican maritime authorities, the fishing boat, which was carrying 130 people, was not authorised to carry passengers and the people were fleeing an alleged cholera outbreak. The shipwreck happened around 100 metres from the coast.

Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi visited the Lunga administrative post to comfort the families, saying that the shipwreck was the result of ‘disinformation carried out by people with obscure interests’.

‘Don’t allow rumours,’ declared Nyusi, during his interaction with the victims’ families.

Records show that 23 more people have died since October 2023 as a result of waves of misinformation on cholera-related issues, said the general commander of the Mozambican police, Bernardino Rafael, on 17 January.

Community leaders and many health technicians have been killed or injured by locals under allegations that they were bringing the disease to the communities.

Source: Lusa