Measuring preparedness to infectious diseases among people exposed to climate disasters in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION

Climate change is contributing to increase the frequency and severity of climate disasters in Mozambique, leading, since 2019, to extensive damage to infrastructure and displacement 1.3 million people. Aim of this study is to evaluate baseline preparedness to vector-borne and water-borne infections among households and internally displaced people exposed to climate disasters in Mozambique.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional, community-based survey assessing the preparedness to infectious diseases outbreaks among people exposed to climate disasters in six districts in Mozambique. Structured form was delivered via face-to-face between October 15th and November 7th, 2022. Study outcome was defined as a seven-point score of preparedness to infectious disease outbreaks. Multivariable analysis of the score was conducted using Conway-Maxwell-Poisson regression.

RESULTS

This study included 2,140 households and 11,239 people, with IDPs accounting for 30% of them. Overall, 1,186 (55.4%) households were overcrowded. Median score of preparedness was 3 points (IQR 2-4). At multivariable analyses, districts with low preparedness were Montepuez and Mueda. Higher preparedness was associated with family planning (p < 0.0001), access to primary education for all children living in the household (p < 0.001) and possession of a birth certificate for all children aged < 5y (p < 0.0001), while preparedness was heterogeneous among the districts (p < 0.05). Households composed by IDPs were not associated with a lower preparedness score.

CONCLUSIONS

In climate-vulnerable communities in Mozambique, households practicing family planning, providing access to primary education and birth certificate for all children were less vulnerable to water-borne and vector-borne infectious disease outbreaks. Being family planning and childcare primarily performed by women, our findings can inform policymakers and practitioners on the importance of addressing women to mitigate the impact of climate disasters and reduce the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.