Patients admitted in the hospital (File photo)
BEIRA, April 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The first cholera-related death has been confirmed in Mozambique’s port city of Beira, which is reeling from the aftermath of Cyclone Idai which hit the country earlier this month, health officials say.
The number of cholera cases has almost doubled to 500 cases in Beira in the past 24 hours, officials add.
Cyclone Idai ripped through Beira on March 14 unleashing catastrophic flooding and killing more than 700 people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
The World Health Organization has said at least 900,000 vaccine doses will be arriving in the port city this week as part of its vaccination campaign.
Aid efforts in Mozambique are now focused on containing the disease.
Officials have warned that the outbreak could reach epidemic proportions.
Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced following the cyclone and exposed to unhygienic conditions. Some had little to no access to clean drinking water for more than a week. — NNN-AGENCIES