Mozambican authority warns of cholera spread

The Mozambican Ministry of Health said on Monday that the entire country has been hit by cholera, and warns people to avoid catching the disease which has led to over 20 deaths nationwide this year.

Speaking at a news conference in Maputo, the Deputy Director of Public Health, Benigne Matsinhe, said that "Mozambique is a country with a lot of movement of people. And there is a danger of them to catch cholera."

The disease has so far hit three provinces among the ten provinces and one capital city, Nampula, Tete and Sofala. According to Matsinhe, so far more than 20 people have died of cholera since January.

She added that "more than 2,000 cases have been reported," urging people to wash their hands before cooking or eating food.

The ministry said it is on alert to avoid the illness from spreading to other regions of the country.

"The movement of people may spread cholera to other parts of the country," said Matsinhe, "therefore we must be careful with this disease. The situation is getting worse and worse."

According to the state Radio Mozambique on Monday, the death toll in the cholera in the northwestern Mozambican province of Tete has jumped from 14 to 19, and 1,114 cases of the water-born disease have been diagnosed since it broke out last month in the provincial capital, Tete city and Moatize district. Endi