9 die of cholera around Lake Chilwa
At least nine people died of cholera in areas around Lake Chilwa, while 522 cases were reported as of mid-September this year.
The districts affected by the outbreak are Phalombe, which has registered 174 cases and two deaths, Zomba where 219 cases and three deaths were reported and Machinga where 129 people were affected and four people died.
Sources, however, say the death toll could be higher as other people might have succumbed to the disease in their communities.
For instance, in August this year, Phalombe district health officer Dr. Alexander Chijuwa said two people died in their communities whereas two others died at health centres.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Henry Chimbali said government is currently intensifying sensitisation campaigns while at the same time distributing chlorine to treat drinking water.
Meanwhile, stakeholders to a meeting on cholera outbreak in Zomba have resolved to ask authorities to evacuate fishermen that are resident in the lake to avert the further spread of the disease.
Lake Chilwa is Malawi’s second largest lake which used to measure 60km by 40km, but it is shrinking after two years of below-average rainfall.
Its shores have moved about 15km inward, and experts warn that if the coming rainy season does not bring adequate water, the lake could dry up completely.
