Page 11 - aruba-today-20190330

A11
WORLD NEWS Saturday 30 March 2019
Mozambique cholera cases jump to 139 a day after outbreak

By CARA ANNA management official Rui
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Costa as saying.
Cholera cases in Mozam- It is not yet clear whether
bique among survivors of a any cholera deaths have
devastating cyclone have been confirmed.
shot up to 139, officials said, "We're not going to test ev-
as nearly 1 million vaccine ery single case (for cholera)
doses were rushed to the because it's not difficult to
region and health workers recognize when you look
desperately tried to impro- at the diarrhea of a patient.
vise treatment space for Once you see it once, you
victims. always recognize it," Gert
Cholera causes acute di- Verdonck, Doctors Without
arrhea, is spread by con- Borders' emergency coor-
taminated food and water dinator for Beira, told the
and can kill within hours if AP.
not treated. The disease Other suspected cholera
is a major concern for the cases are outside Beira in
hundreds of thousands of the badly hit areas of Buzi,
cyclone survivors in the Tica and Nhamathanda,
southern African nation he said, but the chance
now living in squalid condi- of spreading in rural areas
tions in camps, schools or is smaller because people
damaged homes. Community members assist a doctor carrying boxes with medical supplies as he runs towards the are more dispersed.
The Portuguese news agen- South African Defence Forces helicopter after assisting a community affected by a cyclone near In urban areas, however,
cy Lusa quoted Mozam- Beira, Mozambique, Thursday, March 28, 2019. cholera "can have a huge
bique national health offi- Associated Press impact if not contained
cial Ussein Isse for the new quickly," Verdonck said. He
toll. Isse declared the out- The World Health Orga- ing 100 in Beira. cholera is endemic to the said the 900,000 vaccine
break on Wednesday with nization has warned of a "We assume that there are region, "when it does break doses should be enough to
just five confirmed cases. "second disaster" if water- lots of people who will get out, it breaks out fast and it cover targeted areas but
Far more cholera cases borne diseases like cholera sick and we want to get travels extremely fast," he that a second dose should
already were feared. The spread in the impoverished prepared," spokesman said, stressing the need to be given after two weeks
medical charity Doctors nation. It said 900,000 oral Tarik Jasarevic told report- strengthen disease surveil- to strengthen protection.
Without Borders told The cholera vaccines were ex- ers in Geneva. lance. The speed of the outbreak
Associated Press it is seeing pected to arrive Monday Health workers are treat- Cyclone Idai, which stuck came as a surprise, he
around 200 likely cholera and a vaccination cam- ing every case of diarrhea March 14, destroyed more said. Earlier this week work-
cases a day in the Indian paign will begin late next as though it were cholera, than 50 health care clin- ers found 40 to 50 people
Ocean port city of Beira week. Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, ics in central Mozambique, with acute diarrhea at a
alone. The city of some WHO also has opened sev- the deputy U.N. humanitar- complicating the work to health center in Munha-
500,000 people is the hub en treatment centers with ian coordinator for Mozam- contain the disease, Radio va, one of Beira's poorest
of cyclone relief efforts. a total of 400 beds, includ- bique, told reporters. While Mozambique cited disaster neighborhoods.q

Thai Election Commission blames software for counting errors

By KAWEEWIT KAEWJINDA Poll-watching organiza- The main challenger is the
Associated Press tions and opposition parties Pheu Thai Party, associated
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai- have criticized the commis- with former Prime Minister
land's Election Commission, sion for lack of transparen- Thaksin Shinawatra, who
facing widespread criti- cy. Several political activists was ousted by a 2006 coup.
cism for inconsistent and said Friday they are starting Pheu Thai's candidate
delayed vote totals from a petition campaign to im- for prime minister is Suda-
last Sunday's general elec- peach the election com- rat Keyuraphan, who has
tion, said Friday that com- missioners. charged there were irregu-
puter software was partly The commission's figures larities in Sunday's vote. On
to blame. show the party support- her Facebook page on Fri-
During early reporting of ing the current military jun- day, she described alleged
the election results, its tabu- ta had the most popular tampering with ballots.
lation software had trouble votes, trailed by its main Pheu Thai announced on
handling data entered si- challenger, the party oust- Wednesday that it had
multaneously from several ed by the military in a 2014 assembled a coalition of In this Sunday, March 24, 2019. a officer counts ballots in the
points and sometimes dis- coup. parties that would hold general election after closing a polling station in Bangkok, Thai-
played incorrect numbers, The military-backed Palang a majority of seats in the land.
the commission said in a Pracharath Party supports House of Representatives. Associated Press
statement. Prayuth Chan-ocha, who But because an appointed
On Thursday it issued a 208- as army commander led Senate also votes to pick pointed by the current rul- Commission ahead of May
page compilation of votes the 2014 coup and has the new prime minister, a ing junta, and are virtually 9, when it is supposed to
in every constituency in since served as prime min- majority in the lower house certain to back Prayuth for formalize the election re-
response to criticism, but ister and junta chief, to alone would not put them prime minister. sults, may also affect how
some tallies still failed to continue as the country's in power. The Senate's Disqualifications and oth- the new government is
add up correctly. leader. members are indirectly ap- er rulings by the Election formed.q