Balaka District Hospital Public Relations Officer, Mercy Nyirenda, says the hospital has registered 3 Cholera cases and there is also one suspected case.
Speaking in an interview, Nyirenda said one of the cases is improving but the remaining two patients remains in an isolation centre.
According to Nyirenda, one of the cases was discovered in Mazenga village in Phalula while the other two cases were registered in Namanolo and Mwima.
In an effort to contain the further spread of the outbreak, the District Health Office has embarked on a number of interventions.
“We have intensified contact tracing in all the affected areas so that we can find people who were in contact with the cholera patients because we know that this is a highly infectious disease,” she said.
Apart from that, the hospital has also rolled out awareness campaigns across the district to make sure that the masses get messages on the signs and symptoms, prevention and treatment of the disease.
“All the stakeholders will be reached with the messages. We understand that having proper messages at the right time is crucial in as far as the elimination of this outbreak is concerned,” Nyirenda said.
Meanwhile, the District Health Office has also embarked on cholera oral vaccination campaign targeting people of Mwima and Namanolo catchment areas as the two are considering as hotspots.
Nyirenda said people aged one year and above are eligible to receive the vaccine.
The Balaka District Health Office has since appealed for more Cholera oral vaccines so that it can be able to reach out to the whole district.
Nyirenda has also reminded people that Cholera is preventable and at the same time treatable.
“I urge all people in the district to observe sanitary measures all the times, wash hands and always eat freshly prepared foods in order to win the fight against the outbreak,” she said.
