A health worker disinfects water at a clinic in southern Malawi, in November 2022. [Eldson Chagara/Reuters]
Health authorities in Mulanje District have confirmed that one person died out of the 78 cholera cases registered within a week.
According to the Director of Health and Social Services at Mulanje District Hospital, Dr Stalin Zikanda, the rise in cases is due to cross-border transmission from neighbouring Mozambique.
“10 percent of the cases involve individuals who recently visited Mozambique and came back to the country, which led to their friends and family being infected,” said Zikanda.
To prevent further spread of the disease in the district, Zikanda said the district hospital is intensifying its efforts to contain the spread of the disease through Health Surveillance Assistants – HSAs who are distributing chlorine in communities to ensure that people are protected.
Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director, George Jobe, has since urged the government to take a proactive approach to address the rising cholera situation in the country.
“Government needs to do a lot of awareness raising, supply a lot of chlorine to those communities that have no access to potable water and make sure that there is strong surveillance in our borders.”
He added that district councils should train small-scale food vendors on proper hygiene practices.
Since the onset of the 2023/2024 rainy season, the country has faced increased cholera threat, mainly from neighbouring countries like Mozambique and Zambia which have been battling outbreaks.
From last November to January this year, the country has recorded 58 cholera cases, according to a weekly cholera report from the Public Health Institute of Malawi.
