Cholera: the death toll rises in Mozambique after the passage of Cyclone Freddy

Cholera cases in Mozambique have increased tenfold since February, with more than 28,000 people infected in the southern African country still reeling from the passage of deadly Cyclone Freddy, UNICEF warned on Tuesday. Freddy had first hit Madagascar and Mozambique at the end of February before returning to the Indian Ocean. He had then regained power thanks to the warm waters and turned around, returning to the mainland.

"More than half of the cases (of cholera, editor's note) concern children", commented during a press conference in Geneva, Guy Taylor, spokesperson for the Mozambican branch of the United Nations agency which distributed 2.4 million doses of oral vaccines in the country. The number of cases also continues to rise, he said.

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Acute diarrheal infection caused by the absorption of food or water contaminated by bacteria, cholera is on the rise in Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease has killed 123 people in Mozambique since the end of last year. Its spread was increased by the interruption of water supply, hygiene and sanitation services during the passage of the cyclone.

According to Unicef ​​data, Freddy destroyed around 100 health facilities and 250 water points in Mozambique, depriving around 300,000 people of drinking water, mainly in the center of the country, among the poorest in the world. . The cyclone killed at least 86 people in the country of 33 million people and tens of thousands of people lost their homes. More than 390,000 hectares of land have also been affected, raising concerns for the next harvest.