BEIRA, Mozambique, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that 38 million U.S. dollars will be allocated to contain and minimize the extent of cholera outbreak in central Mozambique in the next three months.
The announcement was made by Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's regional director for Africa, in the emergency operation center in Beira, Sofala province, who said the WHO has been coordinating the action of all the health partners in central Mozambique.
"With a good plan established and the good cooperation among the partners and the government, we will help Mozambique to minimize the impact on the health of the people and deaths from these various risks of this emergency," she said.
A devastating tropical cyclone named Idai made landfall on the night of March 14 in central Mozambique, leaving at least 518 people dead, 59,910 houses destroyed, and water and sanitation infrastructures compromised, official statistics showed.
So far, health authorities have registered a total of 258 cases and one death caused by cholera in Beira, the region hardest hit by Idai.
Moeti said a cholera vaccination campaign will start on Wednesday in Beira, which is one of the methods of containing and minimizing the extent of cholera outbreak. More than 900,000 doses of oral vaccine for cholera have been prepared to start the campaign.
"The goal is to stop cholera outbreak as soon as possible, with the combined interventions of the cholera vaccination campaign, also with the work that is going on around to provide safe drinking water, improving sanitation, communication with the population about hygiene, which is good to bring under control the cholera outbreak," she said.
The director said during the three months the situation will be monitored and if needed the plan will be extended with additional resources.
"Our intent is to have a health action as strong as possible within the next three months, not only against cholera, but also other diseases outbreak," she said.
Moeti said the action from the health sector will become more important in the next phase of emergency responses because of the signs of diseases outbreak among people living in the accommodation centers.
