Escalating Cholera Cases in Lilongwe, Blantyre Concern Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 and Cholera
The two cities have recorded 2,777 cases and 48 deaths in two weeks.
Malawi: The Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 and Cholera has expressed concern over the increasing number of cholera cases in Lilongwe and Blantyre cities, stating that the two cities have recorded 2,777 cases and 48 deaths in two weeks, writes Judgment Katika.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the co-chairperson of the task force, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, said the task force is concerned about the carelessness and lack of hygiene among the residents of the cities and surrounding areas.
Chiponda stated that the rising cholera cases in the two cities are the reason the Ministry of Health announced the delayed opening of schools in the cities.
"We are shocked to see that in the past 7 days, we have reported 2,773 cases and 137 deaths. Out of these, Blantyre and Lilongwe have contributed 47% of the new cases and 53% of the new deaths. Blantyre reported 792 cases and 36 deaths while Lilongwe reported 506 cases and 36 deaths during the past 7 days," said Chiponda.
"This indicates the high transmission of the disease in these two cities and significantly informed our decision to delay the opening of schools in these two cities."
Chiponda also urged the citizens to receive the oral cholera vaccine in order to protect themselves from the outbreak.
Chiponda also urged men to also receive the vaccine as they are also at risk of suffering from cholera.
Minister of Education, Agness NyaLonje, stated that her ministry will ensure that students do not miss their studies by introducing open distance learning through radio programs.
She added that the academic calendar will return to normal. NyaLonje stated that in the next 10 days, the ministry, along with relevant stakeholders, will visit schools to verify the water and sanitation situation.
"We are going to visit every school to verify that water sanitation is taken care of at its cost. We are also going to see that schools are not the hotspots for cholera," she said.
NyaLonje added that the government will strengthen the guidelines that have been put in place to protect people from the dangers of COVID-19. Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia, stated that the Water Boards have provided extra pipelines to the masses in order to ensure that citizens have access to clean water.
"What our ministry is doing is making sure that people have clean water, and we are in the process of drilling more boreholes across the country," she said.
In response to the rising pandemic, the government, through the Ministry of Education, has adjusted the opening of schools in the urban areas of Lilongwe and Blantyre to two weeks.
The task force has also announced guidelines to be followed during the next two weeks in order to curb the further spread of the outbreak.