Nsanje records first cholera case
Nsanje District has recorded its first cholera case this year, health authorities have confirmed.
In an interview on Thursday, Nsanje district health office public relations officer, Felix Simbi said one cholera case has been reported as per preliminary results after the initial tests.
He explained that the case has been recorded at Hapalikusala Village, in the area of Senior Chief Malemia.
“It is true that we have a cholera case according to preliminary tests. However, we are still waiting for the final results from the specimen which was sent to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital laboratory. The results will be ready by Friday,” the PRO added.
He said the office has since embarked on cholera awareness campaigns in an attempt to control further spread of the epidemic.
“We have started awareness campaigns so that we can control the situation,” he disclosed.
Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) has joined the response by supporting the DHO in erecting sanitary facilities such as pit latrines and bathrooms at the district hospital where the cholera camp has been established to contain the situation.
Nsanje MRCS district project coordinator, Patricia Gadi said after the health office informed them about the cholera case, they rushed to the facility so that they could provide the necessary support as first respondents.
“After we got the information from the district environmental health officer about the suspected cholera case whose preliminary results are positive, we erected sanitary facilities where those suspected to have cholera are quarantined,” she narrated.
Gadi added that MRCS would be visiting households in some of the villages which have been prone to cholera outbreaks so that they can be provided with primary health care information to control the further spread of the disease.
