What You Need to Know
Two health centres in Monapo, Mozambique, have been closed for about two months due to threats against healthcare workers stemming from misinformation about cholera. This situation has impacted approximately 70,000 residents, forcing them to seek medical care elsewhere. The reopening of these centres is anticipated soon, following discussions between local government and the community.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Two health centres in the Monapo district of Nampula, northern Mozambique, have been closed for approximately two months following threats sparked by misinformation regarding cholera, affecting at least 70,000 people, an official source told Lusa on Tuesday.
“The health centres have been closed for approximately two months due to the threats that healthcare workers have been receiving. Naturally, they also had to safeguard their own lives, and had to withdraw from the centres, which have remained closed throughout this period,” Nalcil Baisson, a doctor and head of the public health department at the Provincial Health Directorate in Nampula, told Lusa.
According to Baisson, healthcare workers had faced very serious and explicit threats in the district of Monapo due to misinformation about cholera, which led to the suspension of services for approximately 70,000 residents, who were then forced to travel long distances in search of medical care.
“We have the Monapo prison, which has a health centre there.”
“It’s a health centre offering basic services, and people end up turning to it (…) to ensure they receive care,” he said, adding that the reopening of the health centres was scheduled for this week, following several meetings between the district government and the community.
“We are now awaiting the final report from the district government, which is intervening directly in this case, to ensure the provision of healthcare services at those two health facilities,” he added.
In addition to Monapo, Baisson identified several other districts as having active cholera outbreaks, whilst others have been officially declared free of the disease.
He also said that an inquiry is underway, led by the Mozambican National Institute of Health, involving anthropologists and sociologists, to investigate the causes of the constant misinformation about cholera affecting Nampula and the country, despite the awareness campaigns carried out by the health authorities.
In March, health authorities warned that misinformation was hampering awareness-raising efforts regarding the causes and prevention of cholera in Nampula, one of the disease’s main hotspots, with reports of “attacks and the destruction of homes belonging to local leaders, including community health workers”.
Mozambique’s health minister also warned in March of the impact of misinformation about cholera, saying that 74% of cholera deaths occur in communities because patients do not seek healthcare services.
Nampula has had a total of 3,797 cholera cases and 39 deaths, according to the latest data update bulletin from the National Directorate of Public Health (DNSP).
Mozambique recorded 100 cases of cholera last week, bringing the total number of infections in the current epidemic, which began in September, to over 8,600, though the outbreak is slowing and there have been no deaths for over a month, according to DNSP data.
Between late February and early March, Mozambican health authorities recorded more than 100 new cases daily, with active outbreaks in around 25 districts across the country.
These figures have been falling in recent weeks, linked to the end of the rainy season (October to April).
Cholera has been a persistent issue in Mozambique, particularly in Nampula province, which has reported thousands of cases and deaths. Misinformation regarding the disease has exacerbated the situation, leading to threats against healthcare workers and the closure of facilities. Health authorities have been actively working to combat misinformation through awareness campaigns, but challenges remain due to community resistance and fear.
The cholera outbreak in Mozambique has seen fluctuating case numbers, with recent data indicating a decline in infections. The government is conducting inquiries to understand the roots of misinformation and improve public health responses. The ongoing efforts
