Cultura de los Cuidados (Jun 1999)
A mission report "Médecins sans Frontières" Suisse. Cholera epidemic in Cabo Delgado (Mozambique)
Abstract
Our work here tries to give an idea of the type and conditions of work nurses have to face in certain developing countries. Our example shows a cholera epidemic outbreak in Mozambique at the end of 1998. The extremely poor hygienic conditions in the population of that area and the severe difficulties providing them with drinkable water turns cholera into an endemic disease in South-eastern Africa. Cholera is one of the most ancient plagues to haunt human beings. In developed countries it rarely appears nowadays, but in developing countries cholera constitutes a severe health problem. Cholera treatment is very simple and cheap. It only needs a correct re-hydration of the patient whose health improves spectacularly within a few hours. Mortality decreases from 50% when no adequate attention is provided, to less than 5% when there exists a proper attention.
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