MOZAMBIQUE
Still Reeling
Mozambique is facing a potentially disastrous outbreak of cholera in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, the deadly storm that killed at least 468 people and affected nearly two million people in the southern African country.
After the cyclone hit the port city of Beira on March 14, thousands of people were trapped in submerged villages without access to clean water for more than a week, raising concerns about water-borne and infectious diseases, Reuters reported.
The World Health Organization has already confirmed five cases of cholera and will begin a vaccination campaign next week with 900,000 doses slated to arrive Monday.
Mozambique has had regular outbreaks of the disease over the past five years, with about 2,000 people infected during the last one, which ended in February 2018. But the massive damage to Beira’s water and sanitation infrastructure has raised concerns that an epidemic among its dense population could spiral out of control.
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