MAPUTO, 27 January 2004 - With the
cholera outbreak in Mozambique affecting more and more people, UNICEF has
intensified its support to the affected locations in close collaboration
with the local authorities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and NGOs.
"The prevention activities are key to limit the impact of the current
outbreak. UNICEF is supporting the door-to-door information campaign by
activists in Maputo City, the provision of posters on cholera prevention
and their dissemination in the schools of the capital," UNICEF Representative
Marie-Pierre Poirier said on Tuesday. In addition, UNICEF is supporting
radio discussions on cholera prevention, broadcast by the Child-to-Child-radio
network of Radio Moçambique.
UNICEF is also supporting the Cholera
Treatment Centres (CTCs) in Maputo City, and in Boane and Namaacha districts
in Maputo Province. Following requests from the Health authorities, UNICEF
is collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to strengthen
the human resources available to respond to the epidemic and to support
the centres' environmental sanitation needs. "We need more health
workers and other staff at these centres, and more support to those already
working there, because they are overwhelmed by the increase of cases,"
Ms. Poirier said.
As part of its ongoing Emergency Preparedness & Response programme, UNICEF has been supporting Government institutions in pre-positioning emergency supplies, including cholera prevention and response equipment and consumables, such as water bladders, chlorine, cleaning tools and hygiene education materials. These are now going to be used in the affected areas, and UNICEF provides logistical support for their rapid delivery: A Truck left last Thursday for Sofala, Zambezia and Nampula Provinces with 6 bladders and 3 tons of chorine requested by the provincial authorities.
The current cholera outbreak started just before Christmas. It is now affecting Maputo City and five provinces (Maputo, Gaza, Sofala, Zambézia and Nampula). By Monday, almost 4,700 cases were registered with a total of 26 deaths. Maputo City reports the highest number of cases: its Cholera Treatment Centre in Mavalane received more than 500 new patients over the weekend. Around 300 of the cases in Maputo City were children under 7 years of age.
UNICEF is prepared to further extend its support to the Municipality of Maputo and other affected areas.
For further information, please contact:
Michael Klaus, UNICEF Communication Officer: +258 82-312 182
Candie Cassabalian, UNICEF Emergency Officer: +258 82-317 916