Thousands of Cholera Cases Reported Following Cyclone Idai

Six people have already died of cholera in Mozambique. The government started a vaccination campaign at the beginning of April. Within a few days, this campaign reached around 600,000 people. There are 11 cholera treatment centers where thousands of people are currently receiving medical aid. The good news is cholera is treatable and curable. But until now not all people in the affected areas could be reached with vaccinations. And many of them simply don’t know how to protect themselves from an infection.

Aid organizations like CARE are working to change that. The CARE emergency team has already provided more than 19,000 people in Mozambique with clean drinking water and hygiene products such as soap and sanitary pads. 

Nevertheless, the risk of infection remains high. The disease spreads rapidly – and aid workers are also at risk. The United Nations and humanitarian organizations for now have turned the waiting hall of Beira airport into an operation room. A bottle of disinfectant sits on every desk. We are only allowed to drink bottled water, must wash our hands regularly and change bed sheets and towels as often as possible. No one here is completely safe, especially the 160,000 people who have been living in emergency shelters for weeks and depend on our assistance.