The Ministry of Health has expressed concern over the continued number of cases in six districts even after it declared that cholera is no longer a public health emergency in the country.
Presidential Taskforce on Covid and Cholera co-Chairperson Wilfred Chalamira Nkhoma said this during the National After-Action Review meeting to reflect on the response to the recent Covid outbreak.
“Despite Malawi’s noble achievement of controlling the cholera outbreak in 26 of 29 districts, a lot needs to be done,” Chalamira Nkhoma said.
He said Malawi is getting closer to the rainy season, a time waterborne diseases such as cholera proliferate.
Chalamira Nkhoma said the action plan that will be developed from the review would be key to informing Malawi’s immediate actions.
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Meanwhile, World Health Organisation Country Representative Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo has said no country in the world has had a perfect response to a public health emergency.
“Malawi has had it worse, without time to recover between the Covid crisis, the series of climate-related disasters and the recent cholera outbreak, hence the need to adjust and strengthen future responses,” Kimambo said.
She has, however, said the country should identify gaps and develop standardised best practices for outbreak management.
In a related development, quality health advocate Maziko Matemba has said the recent cholera outbreak should give Malawians reasons to holistically collaborate on interventions that start with water, sanitation, and hygiene as prevention measures.
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“We need a multi-sectoral approach towards the elimination of cholera by 2030. Among other things, there is a need to join hands on community management, surveillance, case management, supplies, operations, and logistics, as well as overall health management,” Matemba said.
The cholera outbreak has been dubbed the worst in Malawi’s history, with 59,013 cases reported and 1,768 deaths recorded, representing a 3 percent case fatality rate against an acceptable rate of less than 1 percent as of October 1 2023.
