Maputo, Sep 17 (IANS) The government of Mozambique has approved the Cholera Elimination Plan, valued at 31 billion meticais (about $490 million), aiming to eradicate the disease as a public health threat by 2030, reports said.

The announcement was made on Tuesday in Maputo by Council of Ministers spokesperson Inocencio Impissa, following the Cabinet’s 32nd ordinary session, the Mozambique News Agency reported.

He said the plan will be funded through the state budget, bilateral and multilateral partners, public-private partnerships, and philanthropic organisations.

Cholera remains endemic in several parts of Mozambique and across the globe, Impissa said, adding that “the disease is multifactorial and its control and elimination requires actions targeting the main determinants of the disease”.

The plan, he stressed, reflects the government’s commitment to an integrated and multisectoral approach.

“It is the government’s vision to achieve a Mozambique free from cholera as a public health problem by 2030, where communities have access to safe water, sanitation and quality healthcare, achieved through multisectoral actions, coordinated and informed by scientific evidence,” Impissa added.

In May, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation delivered 2.3 million doses of cholera vaccines to Mozambique, aimed at protecting children over one year old and their families in high-risk areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the WHO, cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is a global public health threat and indicates inequality and a lack of social and economic development. Access to safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene is essential to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases.

Most people with cholera have mild or moderate diarrhoea and can be treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS). However, the disease can progress rapidly, so starting treatment quickly is vital to save lives. Patients with severe disease need intravenous fluids, ORS and antibiotics.

Countries need strong epidemiological and laboratory surveillance to swiftly detect and monitor outbreaks and guide responses.

Cholera outbreaks occur regularly in some countries. In others, they are less frequent, and it may be years between outbreaks. Cholera is linked to limited access to safe water, basic sanitation facilities and poor hygiene practices. This may be due to conflict, population displacement, climate events like cyclones, floods or drought, and lack of investment in maintaining and improving WASH services and infrastructure.

The number of cholera cases reported to the WHO has continued to rise in recent years. In 2023, a total of 535,321 cases and 4007 deaths were reported to the WHO from 45 countries. The discrepancy between these figures and the numbers estimated by researchers is likely due to limited surveillance systems and cases not being recorded out of fear of repercussions for trade and tourism.

–IANS

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