Cholera is caused by dirty water, not mosquito nets, a senior official in Mozambique has said on a visit to a region where such misinformation has led to deadly violence in recent weeks.
Several health centres have been the target of attacks in Zambezia province, leaving one person dead, as angry communities blame them for an outbreak of cholera.
Eating food or drinking water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes severe diarrhoea that can kill someone within hours if left untreated.
Cristina Mafumo, the head of Mozambique’s Zambezia province, urged people to be vigilant about stopping misinformation over its cause.
She said health workers were there to help not hinder – and they should not become targets.
“Do you think the government will deliberately distribute the mosquito net to spread cholera?” she asked.
“That’s not possible. So, we have to be attentive. There are people who come to distract us, starting to demonstrate and destroy our health units. This must stop.”
Mozambique has been battling cholera for several months with many areas suffering from poor water sanitation – a situation worsened by flooding caused by recent cyclones.
During her visit to the district of Namarroi, community leaders urged Ms Mafumo to get the government to do more to provide clean water.
Source: BBC
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