Mozambique recently faced the largest cholera outbreak in the last 20 years. This is a warning for all social actors to unite and fight the disease. This was even one of the consensuses reached at the 1st International Conference on Transdisciplinarity for the Elimination of Cholera, under the motto "Together for the Elimination of Cholera".
The event, which took place in Maputo, highlighted the need for an integrated approach to combat the main factors that contribute to the spread of cholera, such as access to clean water, basic sanitation and adequate hygiene practices.
The conference addressed the worrying global situation of cholera, which affects between 1.3 and 4 million people annually, resulting in 21,000 to 143,000 deaths.
Data released during the meeting indicate that in Mozambique approximately 5.2 million people were vaccinated against cholera between 2021 and 2024 in several districts.
Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane highlighted that, between January and March this year, the world recorded around 94 thousand cases of cholera, more than half of which occurred in Africa. Since 2023, the continent has reported just over 250,000 cases and more than four thousand deaths, with a fatality rate of 1.6 percent. In Mozambique, around 16 thousand cases and 38 deaths have been reported since October 2023, with a mortality rate of 0.2 percent.
Since 2022, the increase in cases of cholera and other water-related diseases, worsened by climate change, has been evident. In East and Southern Africa, more than 300,000 cases and 5,000 deaths were recorded in 14 countries. Although some signs of stabilization have emerged, the situation in Southern Africa remains critical, reinforcing the need for urgent interventions.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners have faced major challenges in Mozambique, where limited access to water and safe sanitation facilitates the spread of cholera. Furthermore, misinformation and rumors make it difficult for the community to adopt preventive practices.
The overload of technical and financial resources allocated to fighting cholera highlights the need for additional efforts. To address this crisis, it is essential to invest in improvements to water and sanitation infrastructure, strengthen community responses, improve the preparedness of health facilities, and increase risk communication and community engagement.
(By Renaldo Manhice)
