For more than 20 years; Mozambique is always the victim of the cholera epidemic at each passage of cyclone. Mozambique has reached one of its most serious epidemics, with more than 27,000 cases in the 11 provinces, following Cyclone Freddy, which hit the country at the end of February. 

In Mozambique, the epidemic is eating away at vulnerable people and the number of cases is rising dramatically. Cholera is a diarrheal disease that is often spread through contaminated water; particularly dangerous for pregnant women, given their vulnerable health. According to reports, there are more than 400 new cases per day. The main cause of the increase in cases is related to Hurricane Freddy, which shook the country, washing the ruined water infrastructure into the rivers with raw sewage.

In the port city of Quelimane, villagers said their communities had barely recovered from the storm when cholera spread. The country was already in the midst of a cholera epidemic when Freddy struck. Subsequently, cases exploded as crumbling water infrastructure was wiped out and washed into rivers with raw sewage.

Many hospitals and clinics were also damaged, making it difficult to treat patients. An emergency response hospital, set up by the World Health Organization, the United Nations and Doctors Without Borders, was treating more than 400 new cases a day. Since then, the situation in Quelimane has stabilized somewhat, according to health professionals. Mass immunization campaigns and community outreach programs, particularly targeting pregnant women, have played a role in containing new infections. In some cases, programs have used creative ways to spread the word.

Elsewhere in Mozambique, the situation remains grim as health workers continue to battle the epidemic. The epidemic has also prompted calls for more investment in improving the country's water and sanitation systems.