The government plans to vaccinate more than 1.7 million people against cholera this week in four provinces of the country, at a time when there has been an increase in cases and deaths caused by the disease, as part of the outbreak that has been ongoing since September last year.
According to information from the Ministry of Health (MISAU), the preventive vaccination campaign will take place from February 4 to 8 in five districts, namely Lago, in Niassa province, Metuge and Pemba, both in Cabo Delgado province, Quelimane, in Zambézia province, and Beira, in Sofala province.
According to the statement released by the health authorities, the initiative aims to “cover more than 1.7 million people aged 1 year and older.” Vaccination will be carried out both in health facilities and in communities, using mobile brigades to ensure greater coverage of the target population.
In the same document, MISAU recalls that cholera “is a serious disease transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water or food, which can cause death within a few hours if not treated in time.” In Mozambique, the disease occurs recurrently, especially during the rainy season, which runs from October to March.
“Preventive vaccination is one of the interventions included in the National Cholera Elimination Plan (2025-30),” adds the Ministry of Health, emphasizing that the campaign is part of an integrated response to halt the spread of the disease in the country.
However, in the last 24 hours, Mozambique has recorded 95 new cases of cholera and six deaths, bringing the total number of deaths since the start of the current outbreak to 55. The situation has worsened, particularly in Cabo Delgado province, where new outbreaks of the disease have been identified.
According to the bulletin from the National Directorate of Public Health, with data for the period from September 3, 2025, to January 30 of this year, there have been 3,725 cases of cholera throughout the country. Of this total, 1,621 cases were recorded in the province of Nampula, with 21 deaths, 1,481 in the province of Tete, with 28 deaths, and 566 in the province of Cabo Delgado, with six deaths. The national fatality rate rose to 1.5%.
The epicenter of the outbreak remains the province of Tete, in the center of the country, where the fatality rate stands at 1.9%. The disease remains active in the districts of Marara, Tsangano, Moatize, Changara, Cahora Bassa, and Tete, all located in Tete province, as well as in the district of Morrumbala, in Zambezia province.
The government aims to eliminate cholera “as a public health problem” by 2030, under a plan approved on September 16, 2025, by the Council of Ministers. Valued at 31 billion meticais, the goal is to “have a Mozambique free of cholera as a public health problem by 2030,” ensuring communities have access to safe water, sanitation, and quality health care, according to government spokesman Inocêncio Impissa at the time.
Source: Lusa
