Mozambique’s northern province of Nampula is facing a growing cholera outbreak, with nearly 100 new infections recorded since Friday, bringing the total to 579 cases across three districts, according to health authorities.
Mogovolas is the worst-affected district, reporting 302 cases, followed by Nampula with 166 and Murrupula with 111. Officials say the outbreak has persisted in Mogovolas since October 2023, and efforts to control it have faced setbacks. The province has recorded 29 cholera-related deaths.
Provincial health director Selma Xavier said on Monday that efforts to curb the outbreak were hampered when the Cholera Treatment Centre in Mogovolas was vandalized. The local health center has since reopened, and medical teams are working to treat patients.
Since October 2023, Mozambique has recorded 16,506 cholera cases nationwide, with a 0.2% fatality rate. Vaccination efforts in Mogovolas have struggled due to misinformation and community resistance. Health officials aimed to vaccinate 197,999 people but reached only 169,865, or 85.8% of the target, according to Samuel Carlos from the Provincial Health Service in Nampula.
Some residents accused health workers of spreading the disease, leading to the destruction of the treatment center and an operating theatre run by Médecins Sans Frontières. Military support has been sought to allow vaccination campaigns to continue.
The recent cholera immunization drive, held from January 6 to 10, targeted critical areas, including Nametil-7, Matua, and Nanhupo-Rio.
