Mozambique: Mass vaccination campaign launched amid rise in cholera cases

Beira [Mozambique], Apr 4 (ANI): Health authorities here on Wednesday launched a six-day mass vaccination campaign to prevent the spread of cholera that killed at least three people with most cases reported in the cyclone-ravaged port city of Beira.
Al Jazeera quoted Kate Alberti,  a cholera expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) as saying that the campaign will immunize around 900,000 people in four districts, including Beira, Buzi, Nhamatanda and Dondo, which were badly affected by Cyclone Idai last month.
Cyclone Idai, considered the worst natural disaster to hit Southern Africa in recent history, made landfall in Mozambique on March 14 causing catastrophic flooding and killing more than 700 people across three countries in southeast Africa, including Zimbabwe and Malawi.
According to health officials, at least 598 people were killed and more than 600,000 were displaced due to the cyclone until now.
As floodwaters start receding, authorities warned of a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, which transmits through contaminated food and drinking water.
Alberti further noted that the damage caused to infrastructure and communication networks has reduced access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities in the affected areas.
Health officials have said that children, who are at the highest risk of dying from cholera, will get priority.
More than 1700 people have been infected since the outbreak was declared on March 27, officials noted.
To speed up humanitarian assistance, the Indian Navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in the aftermath of the high-end, Category -2 storm that hit Mozambique on March 15. Assistance is also being sent to Zimbabwe and Malawi. (ANI)