Cholera Climbing in Mozambique, Falling in Malawi

A woman and her baby walk past cholera vaccination campaign posters on the first day of the cholera vaccination program at a camp for displaced survivors of cyclone Idai in Beira, Mozambique, April, 3, 2019. Now, Cyclone Freddy's damage is fueling a rise in cases there.

LONDON - Mozambique recorded an increase in the number of cholera cases in the last few weeks, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, while noting a decline in Malawi cholera cases.

Mozambique has received approval for an additional 1.3 million cholera vaccine doses to help control the spread, the WHO said, but the shortage of vaccines still remains to be addressed.

Mozambique's neighbor Malawi, which has been battling the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, was now seeing a sustained decline in cases and deaths, WHO official and epidemiologist Dr Otim Ramadan said.

However, the progress to bring down the transmission of the disease in Malawi in the last four weeks may reverse quickly due to severe devastation caused by the Tropical Storm Freddy, Ramadan warned.

The agency's officials warned that there could be a high number of cases by the end of the second quarter, if comprehensive response is not taken to stop further spread of the disease.

So far this year, more than 40,000 cases have been reported in Africa, with Malawi accounting for more than half and Mozambique recording about 15%, WHO reported.

Zambia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are also responding to cholera outbreaks.

Still, overall, cholera cases and deaths in Africa have been declining over recent weeks.