Parliamentarians are being urged to allocate at least 15 percent of Constituency Development Funds (CDF) to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to curb Malawi’s recurrent cholera outbreaks. The call was made in Salima by Anthony Masamba, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health.
This proposal anchors the Malawi Multisectoral Cholera Control Plan (MMCCP) 2025–2030, launched by the Ministry of Health with Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) support, aiming to cut cholera incidence by 90 percent and keep fatality rates below 1 percent by 2030.
Masamba urged legislators to champion the initiative in their constituencies, stressing that local funds like the CDF are key for sustainable grassroots access to safe water and sanitation.
Principal Secretary for administration in the Ministry of Health, Bestone Chisamile, said the MMCCP targets cholera elimination by 2030 through multisectoral interventions, noting that reactive health responses alone are insufficient without political leadership, resource mobilization, and accountability.
MRCS General Chifundo Kalulu emphasized the need for parliamentary backing and domestic resource mobilization, adding that a concrete plan aligned with the MMCCP is essential for progress.
Kalulu further noted that strong partnerships between government, civil society, and lawmakers are key to embedding cholera control measures into national development agendas and achieving elimination by 2030.
Cholera remains a major public health challenge in Malawi, causing deaths and socio-economic disruption. The MMCCP aligns with the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) Roadmap to End Cholera by 2030.
By Bridget Makawa
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