BLANTYRE – Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima has described the cholera outbreak as a crisis for the SADC region hence the need for African countries to work together as partners in order to defeat the vice.
He made these remarks on Friday, March 10th, 2023 as he officially opened the second day of the High-Level Emergency Ministerial Meeting on Cholera Epidemics and Climate – Realated Public Health Emergencies at Bingu International Convention Center in Lilongwe.
“The meeting will strengthen and enhance collaboration and coordination for cross-border preparedness and response to to the ongoing cholera outbreak and other climate-related health emergencies,” Chilima said.
He then assured the meeting of Malawi government’s commitment to eliminating cholera, citing President Lazarus Chakwera‘s February 13th launch of Tithetse Cholera Campaign, which has seen new cases per day drop from 700 between January and February to 300 currently.
“The impact of global shifts in temperatures and weather patterns has affected most countries represented at the meeting and the outbreak has devastated Malawi in an aftermath of tropical cyclones,” he highlighted.
Chilima then revealed that the member states present at the meeting are expected to issue a joint statement, resolving to strengthen cross-border collaboration and timely sharing of data about cholera, climate-related emergencies and other diseases.
