Malawi Declares End to Worst Cholera Outbreak, Kills Nearly 2,000

Malawi Declares End to Worst Cholera Outbreak, But Sanitation Remains a Challenge

Malawi has officially declared the end of its worst cholera outbreak, which began in March 2022 and claimed nearly 2,000 lives. The country’s Ministry of Health announced on Monday that no new cases or deaths have been reported in 26 of its 29 health districts over the past four weeks.

The "Tithetse Kolera" or "Let’s End Cholera" campaign, launched by President Lazarus Chakwera in February 2023, played a significant role in defeating the outbreak. The campaign aimed to interrupt cholera transmission in all districts and reduce the fatality rate from 3.2% to below 1%, a benchmark set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a controlled cholera outbreak.

Dr. Wilfred Chalamira Nkhoma, co-chairperson of the presidential task force on COVID-19 and cholera, attributed the success to several interventions, including educating the public about cholera transmission, prevention, and control, increasing surveillance, and proper case management.

However, health experts warn that the outbreak could resurface if sanitation problems are not addressed. "The key one — and that must remain the key one — is to increase access to safe water and also improve adequate sanitation," said Nkhoma. The Ministry of Water and Sanitation has been leading efforts to improve sanitation, with support from non-governmental organizations.

Maziko Matemba, a national community health ambassador, noted that while Malawi has managed to contain the outbreak at the treatment and case-management levels, sanitation remains a significant challenge. "People are not doing the sanitation issues properly, even in public places," he said.

To avoid further outbreaks, the government will continue to educate the public on how cholera is transmitted, prevented, and controlled. With the worst of the outbreak behind it, Malawi can now focus on addressing the underlying sanitation issues to prevent future outbreaks.