According to the African branch of the World Health Organization (OMS), more than 300 health facilities were destroyed or flooded in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique after the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy, depriving communities of proper access to health services.
The devastation caused by the cyclone heightens public health risks, including an increase in the spread of cholera, malaria, vaccine-preventable diseases, Covid-19 and malnutrition.
“As we strive to understand the full extent of the disaster, our priority is to ensure that affected communities and families receive health assistance to meet their immediate needs and limit the risk of the spread of illnesses. waterborne and other infections,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
A man receives the cholera vaccine during a UNICEF vaccination campaign in Malawi.
A cyclone in the midst of a cholera epidemic in Malawi and Mozambique
In Malawi and Mozambique, the cyclone spread in a context already marked by cholera epidemics. In Mozambique, the number of new cholera cases has more than doubled over the past week, from 1,023 to 2,374 new cases as of March 20.
However, Malawi, which is facing the worst cholera outbreak in its history, continued to record a drop in the number of new cases, dropping to 1,424 new cases as of March 20, from 1,956 the previous week. Massive flooding and damage to infrastructure in Malawi following the cyclone are likely to set back recent progress in the fight against cholera.
The massive destruction, floods and torrential rains affected more than 1.4 million people in the three countries and pushed health facilities to work at maximum capacity. Homes, schools, roads and other infrastructure were destroyed or damaged, and plots of farmland were flooded.
WHO has provided nearly $8 million
To meet the needs of the affected countries, around 184 tons of laboratory supplies, treatment and other essential medical supplies have been dispatched to strengthen the emergency response against the cyclone and cholera. In Malawi, WHO has decentralized cholera response operations centers to at-risk districts to consolidate disease control efforts.
The UN World Health Agency also provided training to more than 1,500 health workers in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar on disease surveillance, clinical care and community mobilization to build buy-in. of the general public to the response efforts.
In total, WHO has provided nearly $8 million and deployed more than 60 experts to affected countries to support emergency responses. But she believes that reinforced and concerted humanitarian aid is essential to help affected populations cope with the crisis and recover from the disaster.