Mozambicans struggle with virus, patchy vaccination

Health charities in Mozambique have warned it could take "three to five years" to vaccinate the country's population against coronavirus, as hospitals are struggling to cope with soaring infection rates and a surge in admissions, according to a report by British broadcaster Sky News.

Maputo's Hospital Central has been forced to fashion a makeshift COVID-19 response ward with donated tents, providing an extra 140 beds, to try and meet demand.

Dr. Lucia Chambal, who coordinates the hospital's response, confirmed the worsening situation and called on authorities to get out "in front of the problem" so as not to "have a burnout of the system."

Health experts have linked the rise in cases to the arrival of the South African variant, according to the report.

Official figures currently point to a total of 47,000 people infected and 486 fatalities, but most people have little faith in the official numbers, the report says.

With only four free testing centres in the capital and no track and trace system, containing the virus is proving difficult for local authorities.

Preventive measures also seem to have proven inefficient, with many complaining that they cannot afford to stay home or they will go hungry.

A woman at Maputo's Xiquelene market told Sky just that. "We are scared of hunger more than COVID," said Amelia Cossa.

The government has enrolled in the COVAX global vaccination initiative.

But the programme can only manufacture and supply for 20% of the Mozambican population by the end of 2021.

Local health organisations have also warned that it could take between three and five years to roll out an effective nationwide vaccination scheme.

Flavio Ismael, projects coordinator at prominent public health charity Dream Sant'egidio, said that even with the arrival of first-generation vaccines, any kind of national roll out would present problems.

You can have people living 50 kilometres from Maputo city but never for 50 years never arrive to Maputo.They live there and they won't come just to get vaccinated.