World Vision Singapore

Cholera crisis in Mozambique
By Eleuterio Fenit, World Vision International

A mother and her baby are seeking re-hydration treatment at a cholera quarantine camp. Photo by Sibusisiwe Ndlovu, World Vision.

A cholera outbreak has now been officially declared in 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces. 13,000 cholera cases have so far been officially reported in Mozambique this year, surpassing the total number of people who contracted the highly contagious disease in the whole of last year in the country.

World Vision is currently carrying out efforts to fight the epidemic that has, since January, already claimed 120 lives. World Vision has been involved in basic prevention and care interventions in Nampula and Zambezia provinces, which include awareness raising for water purification, latrine construction and the setting up of treatment centres.

However, the continued spread of the cholera outbreak is a clear sign of the enormous challenges that still lie ahead, mostly due to poor water, hygienic and sanitation conditions exacerbated by the rainy season.

World Vision National Director for Mozambique, Leslie Scott, has warned that “If multi-disciplinary approaches are not undertaken now, government and the humanitarian community will fail to contain the epidemic, the costs to respond will far exceed capacities and more people will die.”

Increased effective community mobilisation and education is also needed. “Adequate information and sensitisation is of utmost importance,” warns Leslie Scott “so people fully and clearly understand how it is that cholera is transmitted and appreciate what needs to be done, including the work of those involved in efforts to stamp out the disease.”

Recently, three Red Cross volunteers, involved in cholera prevention activities in Mogincual, a district in Nampula province, were killed in a wave of unprecedented violence caused by baseless, widespread rumours that they were spreading the disease. Experts indicate that one of the reasons appear to have been deep rooted preconceptions and mistrust among vulnerable communities, in relation to water purifiers such as ‘chlorine’, often locally confused and, or associated with ‘cholera’.