Cholera deaths reach nine

Cholera deaths continue to rise in the country despite efforts by Malawi government and the international community.

According to Malawi Ministry of Health Spokesperson Joshua Malango, cholera deaths in Malawi have now reached 9 since the deadly disease has killed one person in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.

He added that on Sunday 11 new cholera cases were reported from 4 districts.
Two of the reported cases are in Lilongwe, six in Salima, one in Likoma and two in Karonga,”

“31 Cholera patients are still admitted at the treatment centres in Lilongwe, Likoma, Rumphi, Salima and Karonga. Cumulatively, 541 cases have been reported in the 13 affected districts with 9 deaths,” Malango said.

Recently, Malawi Minister of Health and Population Atupele Muluzi warned that Malawi will continue to have cholera outbreaks if Malawians do not start to follow prevention measures.

“It is not acceptable to simply throw rubbish out of the window, defecate in the open or allow your surroundings to fill with detritus. We must work together to clean up our country to eradicate the possibility of diseases like cholera spreading,” he said.

He observed that cholera outbreaks occur in countries that lack the critical national infrastructure to effectively manage their waste and where there is open defecation.

To curb the disease, government has been sensitising communities on sanitation and has also started administering cholera vaccine.