Africa-Press – Mozambique. The outbreak of cholera in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula is persisting, but the number of cases is falling, according to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Health.
The outbreak is now active in ten of the 23 districts in Nampula. No deaths from cholera were reported over the previous 24 hours, but 19 new cases were diagnosed. Eight of these were in Mozambique Island district
There has been a cumulative total of 172 cases on Mozambique Island, of whom 17 are hospitalised. Taking the province as a whole, 29 patients are currently hospitalised with cholera.
The total number of cases diagnosed in Nampula province since the start of the outbreak is 3,623, of whom 39 have died. Nine of the known deaths occurred in health units and 30 in the communities.
The worst hit district is Nacala with 1,826 cases and 17 deaths. Currently five cholera patients remain hospitalised in Nacala.
The latest statistics indicate that almost exactly 50 per cent of the cases (1,867) are men, while 1,824 are women. 48 per cent of the patients are over the age of 15, while children under the age of five only account for 25 per cent of cases.
The health authorities are continuing to urge strict observance of individual and collective measures of hygiene, taking particular care to avoid contamination of food and of drinking water.
