Experts feel cholera fight given least attention

Health experts have faulted government’s cholera response as the country continues to struggle to contain the outbreak a year after registering the first case on March 3 2022 in Machinga District. They argue the attention given is less than that of Covid-19.

As of yesterday, the country had cumulatively registered 49 207 cholera cases with 1 564 deaths, more than half of all Covid-19 cases registered since April 2020.

In comparison, the country has cumulatively recorded 88 460 Covid-19 cases and 2 686 deaths in almost three years.

While experts cite perceptions to have played a part as people were more afraid of Covid-19 than cholera, they faulted the government and its stakeholders for not giving the outbreak special attention as compared to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health rights activist Maziko Matemba said the management of cholera exposed the rich-poor divide, observing that the fact that Covid-19 mostly affected the upper class influenced a lot of support from both government and partners while cholera, being “a disease of the poor” was less pronounced, particularly at the beginning of the outbreak.

“Moving forward, we need to equalise our response, without looking at the economic scale of those affected. Covid-19 response was enormous from development partners as compared with the cholera outbreak,” he said.

Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe said Covid-19 affected the cholera fight as the myths and misinformation that had previously arisen during the Covid-19 crossed over to cholera.

“Some people have been living in denial that cholera is real, thereby delaying access to treatment when they get sick, leading to more deaths,” he said.

On vaccination, while the government is still lobbying people to get vaccinated for Covid-19, it is now two months since the country ran out of the cholera vaccine.

Ministry of Health director of preventive health services Dr Storn Kabuluzi said the ministry submitted the request to the Global Task Force on Cholera Control in January and is still waiting for feedback.

He said cholera has affected many countries which are also requesting the vaccines.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Cholera has said the country is running out of medical supplies to assist cholera patients admitted in various hospitals.

Among the medical supplies needed include ringer lactate, cholera beds, gloves, solar lamps, buckets, soap, chlorine, oral rehydration salts and provision of safe water and sanitation facilities.

The task force has since appealed to individuals, companies and non-governmental organisations to assist with resources and cash donations.

The task force’s co-chairperson Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said: “The task force welcomes any donation regardless of quantities and assures the public that all donations received will be used for the intended purpose and will be accounted for.”

The call echoes Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Charles Mwansambo’s remarks two weeks ago indicating that there is a budget shortfall of $40 million (about K41 billion) for an effective cholera response in the country.

Mwansambo said $18.6 million (about K19 billion) has so far been raised, out of a budget of $59 million (about K61 billion).

The gap in essential cholera medical supply was observed at Machinga District Hospital where there is only one tent, with patients lying on bare floors.

European Union Ambassador Rune Skinnebach said Malawi would have contained the outbreak had the cases not been treated in isolation at the beginning.