Mozambique on Monday kicked off a cholera vaccination campaign, targeting around 720,000 people in eight districts as it steps up measures to contain an outbreak that has infected over 5,200 people and claimed at least 37 lives since September 2022.
World Health Organization (WHO) country representative Severin von Xylander said the five-day campaign would vaccinate people aged one year and above.
“The vaccination campaign will be crucial in stemming the spread of cholera and help save lives,” von Xylander said.
Mozambique has recorded a sharp increase in cholera cases since mid-December 2022, with the outbreak reported in five of the country’s 11 provinces. The northern Niassa, Sofala and Tete provinces are the worst affected.
According to the official, Mozambican health authorities are also using the vaccination campaign to reinforce disease surveillance, prevention and control measures, and treatment of the disease, as well as to raise public awareness to curb the spread of the disease and end the outbreak.
“We are also working with the health authorities to bolster key outbreak response measures and have deployed staff in the three most affected provinces to support the provincial health authorities to detect, prevent and halt cholera this outbreak,” he said.
He said the WHO has disbursed US$856,000 to support the Mozambique government response and has provided medical supplies and medicines.
During the vaccination campaign health officials are using a mixed approach of vaccinating patients at health centres as well as deploy mobile teams that would undertake door-to-door visits.
Cholera transmission in Mozambique is closely linked with poor sanitation and inadequate access to safe drinking water as well as the impact of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods.
Floods have so far affected over 39,000 people in Mozambique, claiming nine lives and causing extensive damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, health centres and 76,000 homes.
JN/APA