Malawi Declares Cholera No Longer A Public Health Concern

By Joseph Dumbula

The government of Malawi has declared cholera no longer a public health emergency.

The disease has however over the recent year, claimed over 1,500 lives nationwide.

But in a statement, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda the declaration has been made by the taskforce after reviewing the cholera situation in Malawi.

“There is now a significant reduction in the number of cases and deaths being reported and 26 out of 29 health districts have controlled the outbreak. The trend has continued to show a decline in new cases and deaths over the past three months, “reads part of the statement.

Chiponda adds that the three remaining districts which are Chikwawa, Blantyre and Mangochi are reporting less than five cases per day.

The declaration means that the grading of cholera outbreak has been reassessed from level 3 to level 1 and the Ministry will now be reporting weekly cases rather than daily cases.

However, Malawi’s cholera prevention measures will continue to be implemented until the outbreak is over in all health districts.

In December last year, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera had declared the disease as a public health emergency from when the infection has killed 1,768 people with the country recording over 50 thousand cases.