Malawi Battles New Cholera Outbreak Just Two Months After Worst Outbreak Ended
Malawi is facing a new wave of cholera cases, just two months after the country declared the end of its worst cholera outbreak, which began in March 2022 and claimed nearly 2,000 lives. The new outbreak has been reported in Chitipa district in northern Malawi and Machinga district in the south.
According to records from Chitipa District Health Office, the district has recorded 22 cases of cholera, with one death, since the onset of the new outbreak last week. This includes nine new cases registered on Friday, with eight people hospitalized. Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated.
Machinga district hospital in southern Malawi registered its first cholera case in the new outbreak this week. “It has been three days now since we registered that case,” said Wongani Nyirenda, the hospital’s spokesperson. “However, we are doing everything to make sure that people are using safe water. We have given them some chlorine and a water guard to treat their water.” Health surveillance assistants are also on the ground educating people about good hygiene practices.
George Jobe, executive director of the Malawi Health Equity Network, is concerned about the resurgence. “It is worrisome,” he said. “Our hope and expectation was that we would have a breather. A longer breather, especially considering that in 2022 we had a big suffering from cholera which took us over a year. So, we wouldn’t want to go back to such a bad experience.” Jobe believes the resurgence means Malawi is still struggling to address the challenges of making safe water available. He said water contaminated by sewage is the main cause of cholera.
“We have issues to do with behavioral change where hygiene issues should be borne in mind, like washing hands with soap, having pit latrines and good waste management,” he said. Ministry of Health officials have assured the public that the government is putting measures in place to control the spread of the disease, and are urging Malawians not to panic.
The resurgence of cholera cases comes as a reminder of the importance of continued efforts to improve access to safe water and sanitation, as well as education on good hygiene practices. As Malawi works to contain the new outbreak, it is clear that the country still has a long way to go in addressing the underlying challenges that contribute to the spread of cholera.