Cholera Map in Africa

                                                     














                                       This is a map of cholera outbreaks in Africa through 2004.  ("Mozambique")

Mozambique

     Mozambique, an east African country slightly less than twice the size of California (“Mozambique”), gives cholera ample opportunities to strike because of its many coastal areas. Mozambicans tend to migrate towards the coast, causing more pollution and spreading this disease even more. Their environmental problems include severe drought, flooding, and seasonal monsoons (“Mozambique”). Flooding and monsoons both add to the cholera issue although central mountains slow the extension of it to seperated cities. There are six major rivers that flow through Mozambique and the entire country is on the coast of the Mozambique Channel (“Mozambique” 588-591). These are prime places that cholera would be created and proliferated. 
     Mozambique is a multi-party republic with socialistic properties that have pursued a democracy ("Mozambique" 588-591). Until 1975, it was a Portuguese colony, this is now their Independence Day (“Mozambique” 588-591). The president Armando Guebuza spends an average annual amount of $731,000,000 on healthcare (Mozambique) out of their $2.64 billion dollar budget (“Mozambique”). The government has made no major steps towards the eradication of cholera because it sees its debts, AIDS, and other expenditures as more important. Filtration plants are a simple solution that would be beneficial to everyone in the country.
   The average person in Mozambique is 17 years old and is ethnically African (“Mozambique”). They have a yearly income of $800 (“Mozambique”), which is not nearly enough to pay for healthcare or safe water. Since they most likely don’t have enough money for a toilet or accurate disposable resources, they are forced to pollute their environment. The Berlin Conference between Europe in 1884 divided Africa and intermixed many rival ethnic groups ("Mozambique"), causing several civil wars over the past few centuries. This has taken a major part in Mozambique's deficient economy. Their quandary could be resolved if their government would implement water filtration plants into their country thus decreasing pollution and cholera.

This is a physical map of Mozambique.

(Mozambique)