AFRICA - Cholera is still spreading in Africa, Africans still die of a disease which today can be prevented with simple precautions

Wednesday, 18 February 2004

Rome (Fides Service) - Togo’s health ministry has issued a warming about an epidemic of cholera which has already killed 17 people in the capital Lome. Confirmed 413 cases and the presence of new infections in surrounding towns.
Due to serious drought, the situation in Burundi is also dramatic, two people died and three new cases have been registered in the north western province of Bubanza. Two years ago there were 700 cases, of which 10 were mortal during an outbreak of cholera in the northern city of Dapaong near the border with Burkina Faso.
Relatively good news comes from Mozambique where a series of preventative measures have led to a decrease in numbers of persons with cholera hospitalised at the Mavalane Cholera Treatment Centre, the main medical centre for cholera in the capital, Maputo. During previous epidemics, at the peak, as many as 279 patients were admitted every day; now the average is 55 cases. However at present the Centre is treating 186 persons with cholera and 24 new cases have been diagnosed in the port city of Beira, bringing the total number of cases to 1,101. Since the outbreak of the epidemic in December 2003, the Centre has treated 5,989 cases and registered 31 deaths.
(AP) (18/2/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:22 Parole:250)


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