A new study by the Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Environmental Health Department (WASHTED) at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) has uncovered a silent but growing danger in communities the reuse of plastic beverage bottles is fuelling the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
AMR occurs when antibiotics lose their power to fight infections, making common illnesses harder to treat. What seems like an innocent habit of reusing bottles, the study warns, could be helping dangerous bacteria build resistance to life-saving drugs.
WASHTED researcher Dyson Kazembe, who led the study, said the findings were shocking.
“More than 90 percent of reused bottles and surfaces we tested contained drug-resistant bacteria such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These bacteria can survive even after bottles are rinsed with water,” said Kazembe.
Kazembe explained that the problem runs deeper than most people think.
“Many vendors collect bottles from dumpsites. A few wash them with soap, but most simply rinse them with water from unprotected sources and store them in unsanitary places before using them again to sell drinking water, thobwa, and other local beverages,” he said.
“That creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that no longer respond to antibiotics,” added Kazembe.
Health officials are deeply concerned. The Ministry of Health’s Principal Laboratory Officer, Lucious Ziba, said the country could be sitting on a ticking time bomb.
“These practices are silently spreading drug resistance beyond hospitals,” he warned.
“If we do nothing now, we risk reversing the progress Malawi has made in fighting diseases like cholera and other diarrhoeal infections,” said Ziba.
Ziba added that the danger goes beyond waterborne diseases.
“AMR also threatens our ability to control malaria and HIV two areas where Malawi has made great progress over the years,” he said.
The findings come at a time when global health experts are raising the alarm over AMR. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), drug-resistant infections kill more than five million people every year, with Africa accounting for over one million of those deaths.
As Malawi battles this growing threat, experts say there is an urgent need for stronger hygiene practices, better public awareness, and stricter regulation of informal beverage vendors. Without immediate action, they warn, the country could face a public health crisis that extends far beyond hospitals.
By Yamikani Makanga
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