The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Cholera and other health emergencies in Mozambique multiplied by Cyclone Freddy - WHO
Over a million people across Mozambique’s eight provinces have been affected by the compounding effects of cholera, cyclone Freddy and its floods, polio, Covid-19 and a protracted humanitarian crisis in the north, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
“The numbers are sobering,” said Dr. Severin von Xylander, WHO Representative for Mozambique. “More than a million people across eight provinces are being impacted by cholera, the floods and Cyclone Freddy.”
The cyclone’s destructive path laid waste to more than 132 homes and displaced 184,000 people. “Mostly closed accommodation centers were opened in many districts and shelter for families in need. In the cyclone destroyed path 163 health facilities were damaged, jeopardizing access to routine care,” the WHO official added.
Storm damage to public services and infrastructure has been staggering, WHO said, after flooding in early February triggered by heavy seasonal rains, combined with the effects of Freddy making landfall – twice - on 24 February and on 11 March.
“The country was hit twice by the cyclone in a matter of days and (is) now receding,” said the WHO Representative. “But access to safe water and sanitation is still challenging and about one third of the crops have been destroyed and cholera cases are being reported from an increasing number of affected districts.”
In the coming weeks, WHO expects that the number of malaria cases will increase drastically and the malnutrition rate – already very high – will go up. Climate change is not a future problem – it’s here and now, Dr. von Xylander maintained.
His comments came as a cholera outbreak continues to spread. More than 132 people have been admitted to cholera treatment centers in the last 24 hours, 350 people have received ambulatory care for cholera. After Freddy hit Mozambique, the number of cases exploded from less than 20 a day to more than 200.
“While the cholera outbreaks regularly occur in Mozambique between October and April of every year with more than 21,000 cases currently and 95 deaths, this is the largest outbreak in the last 20 years,” said Dr. von Xylander. “For example, Manica province bordering Zimbabwe had not seen a case of cholera in the last 15 years.”
A first cholera vaccination campaign took place in late February in four provinces. Over 715,000 people were vaccinated using the single-dose strategy. A second campaign was launched on Thursday in the city of Quelimane – the most affected city - targeting 410,000 people.
“Luckily, the case fatality rate for the cholera treatment center is below the threshold of one per cent which means we are able to save lives,” said WHO’s Mozambique Representative. “I really have to acknowledge the wonderful work that the Ministry of Health is doing, deploying people that at the same time need to look after their families and meanwhile treating people.”
There is also a very real likelihood that the country will suffer a food crisis. An Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) report which describes the severity of food emergencies covering the period between November 2022 to March 2023 indicated that an estimated 3.15 million people in the country face acute food insecurity (2.8 million people in IPC3 and 400,000 people in IPC 4). For northern Mozambique, where there is only one planting season, the crop destruction means that the lean season will last a year.
-ends-
STORY: Cholera and Health Emergencies Mozambique - WHO
TRT: 1:59”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 31 March 2023 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, press room with spokesperson on the podium
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Dr. Severin von Xylander, WHO Representative for Mozambique: “The numbers are sobering. More than a million people across eight provinces are being impacted by cholera, the floods and Cyclone Freddy. Cyclone Freddy destroyed over 132 homes and 184,000 people were displaced. Now ready, mostly closed accommodation centers were opened in many districts and shelter for families in need. In the cyclone destroyed path 163 health facilities were damaged, jeopardizing access to routine care.”
- Close up, journalists
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) – Dr. Severin von Xylander, WHO Representative for Mozambique: “The country was hit twice by the cyclone in a matter of days and now receding. But access to safe water and sanitation is still challenging and about one third of the crops have been destroyed and cholera cases are being reported from an increasing number of affected districts.”
- Close up, journalists listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Dr. Severin von Xylander, WHO Representative for Mozambique: “While the cholera outbreaks regularly occur in Mozambique between October and April of every year with more than 21,000 cases currently and 95 deaths, this is the largest outbreak in the last 20 years. For example, Manica province bordering Zimbabwe had not seen a case of cholera in the last 15 years.”
- Medium shot, journalists listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Dr. Severin von Xylander, WHO Representative for Mozambique: “Luckily, the case fatality rate for the cholera treatment center is below the threshold of one per cent, which means we are able to save lives. And I really have to acknowledge the wonderful work that the Ministry of Health is doing, deploying people that at the same time need to look after their families and meanwhile treating people.”
- Medium shot, journalists and screen with speakers in the background
- Close up, hands writing
- Close up, hands typing on laptop
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned on Friday, highlighting that nearly two million of this number are young children “at high risk of illness or death”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO
Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank; scores of Gaza amputees denied prosthetics, aid teams warn
Israeli military operations and surging settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are killing and maiming Palestinian children, while in Gaza tens of thousands with life-changing injuries lack access to treatment and rehabilitation, UN agencies warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely low”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , IFRC
Death and destruction have continued unabated in Lebanon while communities are still unable to return to their homes despite a ceasefire that began on 17 April, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Deadly hantavirus on board cruise ship may be transmitted among humans - WHO
Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out – although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN rights chief concerned by upheld convictions of Cambodian activists.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , OHCHR
Middle East crisis puts aid, food, fuel further out of reach for millions already struggling – UN agencies
As the Middle East crisis continues the humanitarian fallout is worsening, with aid route disruptions and food and fuel price hikes wrecking the lives and rights of the most vulnerable, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNMAS
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office in Syria conducted a 5-day visit to the northeast of the country where they received accounts of human rights violations and abuses.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Sudan: ‘History repeating itself’ for Darfur’s children - UNICEF
Mass atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur 20 years ago reverberated as far as Hollywood, but today, a new generation of children faces attacks, hunger and displacement in an emergency largely ignored by the outside world, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNMAS
Desperate and dangerous conditions in Gaza continue to hamper recovery efforts for the wartorn enclave's people, the UN health agency said on Friday, while demining experts warned that they’ve “barely scratched the surface” in assessing the level of contamination of unexploded ordnance.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News
The continued support of UN Member States to Lebanon will be “indispensable” to boost the country’s national armed forces and provide humanitarian assistance with more than one million people still uprooted by the Middle East war, the UN's peacekeeping chief said on Wednesday.