Mozambique: cholera outbreak spreading in Nampula province

Cholera continues to spread in northern Mozambique. The outbreak in Nampula province, which began last October, has now reached the coastal district of Larde. There have been 30 deaths and over 1100 diagnosed cases, of which 467 were in the provincial capital Nampula city, and 114 in Larde. Most deaths are instead concentrated in the district of Mogovolas. 29 people are receiving treatment in the hospital – 16 in Nampula, 8 in Larde, and 5 in Murrupula. The spread of the disease has been accompanied by a wave of disinformation, leading to mob attacks against community leaders and even schools. On March 20, for example, a group attacked a primary school in Topuito, burning books and vandalising the building. According to residents, the attackers were outsiders trying to create disturbances in the district. Mob attacks appear to be motivated by the belief that people raising awareness about cholera are the ones responsible for the outbreak. Mogovolas district hospital has also been vandalised three times since December.
Authorities have repeatedly called for an end to attacks against schools and healthcare centres, pointing out that they endanger the lives of people and prevent effective action against the outbreak. They have also remarked that the causes of cholera are a lack of clean water, defective sanitation, and a failure to comply with basic rules of personal and collective hygiene.