Mozambique reactivates cholera commissions

Mozambican health authorities have revived anti-cholera commissions to deal with epidemics in several provinces, ‘Noticias’ reported on Monday. The paper mentioned specifically the northern province of Nampula, where the commission was reactivated as a consequence of a fresh outbreak of the disease in the neighbouring Niassa province, where 11 deaths were reported, out of about 80 cases diagnosed since mid-November. The Nampula provincial chief doctor, Anselmo Tomas, said a growing number of cases of diarrhoea had been reported lately from several districts in the province, which he said could signal a cholera outbreak. “It is impossible for us, at the moment, to quantify exactly the number of cases reported in those districts, but we can say that the figure is very high, particularly if compared with the number recorded at the same time last year,” he said. Ussene Isse, Niassa chief doctor, said that the provincial cholera commission has met with local community and religious leaders to urge them to co-operate in awareness campaigns to check the epidemic. The southern province of Gaza is also reactivating its cholera commission, particularly in the proviancial capital, Xai-Xai and in the town of Chibuto. At least three deaths have been reported in Gaza since the outbreak of the disease in mid-September. The main task of the commissions is to ensure safe supplies of drinking water, civic education on basic hygiene principles and to prevent contamination and the spread of the disease.