Misinformation in Mozambique

Shagnick Bhattacharya, Online News Editor, discusses the murky truth

VIOLENT protests have allegedly broken out in Mozambique over the circulation of false information regarding cholera outbreaks in the North. Misinformation around the disease — spreading largely through word-of-mouth — has not helped, leading to people resisting help from, and in turn undermining the efforts of, the public health services. There have been social media posts which were falsely claiming that the measures implemented by local health officials, such as adding chlorine to water supplies and the use of purifiers, are in fact spreading the disease.

The situation has not only undermined trust in health authorities, hampering public health responses and ultimately prolonging the outbreak, but also resulted in violent protests and more deaths. In one of the cases of such protests highlighted by the BBC, four people were killed whilst the police battled a group attacking homes and property belonging to local officials in the Nampula province. In at least one incident involving mob violence, a man was also beaten to death in the town of Gurue in Zambezia province by people who falsely accused him of spreading cholera; a video of which has since been circulating on social messaging apps. Since September last year, Mozambique has been dealing with a cholera outbreak, which worsened earlier this year in February when the country was hit by Cyclone Freddy. Additionally, a combination of flooding in many areas during the rainy season and inadequate access to sources of safe drinking water for the general public, has also made the situation challenging to resolve. As of now, approximately 31,000 people have been diagnosed with cholera out of which there have been 135 deaths according to official records.

Summer on a budget

Megan Ballantyne, Former Editor-in-Chief, talks about how to enjoy post-exams holidays abroad

IT’S coming up to that time when exams are all done, the sun is shining, and we all can breathe a collective sigh of relief and begin to enjoy ourselves a little more — and what better way to celebrate the end of exam season than a spontaneous summer holiday? As someone who planned many trips with detailed itineraries as a way of procrastinating my dissertation, I like to think I know a thing or two about how to book a budget holiday.

My first piece of advice if you want a cheap holiday abroad is to be as flexible as you can be with dates and locations. If I’m super flexible, I like to select a month in Skyscanner, choose my departure airport, and put ‘Everywhere’ as my destination. You can then scroll through all the cheapest flight prices within a set month and get a good feel for where and when is affordable for you. If your base is Exeter, Bristol Airport is likely your best shout for flying abroad. A return train to Bristol with a railcard is just over £20, and only takes an hour. There is an airport bus which goes from the main station, so

...like taking a toy away from a child , taking a vape away from a teenager is a challenging task

Indeed, some Brits believe that it is time politicians recognise the long-term health issues younger populations will face due to the dangers of vaping. However, it is not only health reasons that have begun to worry certain people. Many vapes sold in corner shops and supermarkets are single use, which, of course, have a grave enivornmental effect, whether they end up in landfills, the ocean or discarded on the streets.