BLANTYRE – As Malawi battles its biggest cholera outbreak to date, a senior Malawian health official Charles Mwansambo announced on Thursday that the outbreak’s death toll has surpassed 1,300.
According to Mwansambo, who spoke at a briefing held by the Africa division of the World Health Organization, Malawi reported 40,284 cholera cases as of Wednesday and 1,316 deaths in an outbreak that began in March 2022.
In Malawi, cholera outbreaks occur frequently, primarily during the rainy season from November to March, but they only result in an average of roughly 100 deaths per year.
According to a statement released by the WHO on Thursday, the current outbreak in Malawi is the deadliest on record, surpassing outbreaks in 1998/99 and 2001/02, which resulted in 860 and 968 deaths, respectively.
Although the country has carried out two oral cholera immunisation programmes, there has been an increase in cholera outbreaks globally, placing pressure on vaccine supply.
Cholera instances have also been reported in several African nations, notably Zambia and Mozambique, which are neighbours of the former British colony once known as Nyasaland.
In the midst of a protracted and severe drought, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are battling outbreaks. In West and Central Africa, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nigeria have reported instances.
Two imported cholera cases from Malawi were announced by South Africa on Sunday, and the spouse of one of the initial two cases later tested positive.
Cholera can cause severe diarrhoea and is typically spread through contaminated food or drink. Although many people only experience minor symptoms, if left ignored, it can be fatal within hours.
- Reuters/ RosGwen24 News/ Zambia Today
