Public health experts have called for heightened vigilance from authorities and the public to contain further spread of the disease following revelations that Malawi has recorded two cholera cases.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation Principal Secretary for Administration Bestone Chisamile said in a statement on Tuesday that the cases confirmed on December 11 involve a five-year-old boy from Area 24 in Lilongwe and a 42-year-old man based at Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka.
cholera camp in this file photo. | Nation
He urged the public to report any suspected cases of cholera to their nearest facilities, stating that the ministry has adequate supplies in all health facilities to manage cholera cases.
Meanwhile, Balaka District Health Office (DHO) spokesperson Mercy Nyirenda and Lilongwe DHO spokesperson Richard Mvula said yesterday that both patients made full recovery and were discharged. Said Nyirenda: “Intensive contact tracing has been conducted around the case in Balaka and so far, no suspected or secondary cases have been identified.”
Reacting to the new cases, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences professor of public health and epidemiology Adamson Muula noted that cholera is a multidimensional disease linked to challenges such as access to safe water, food insecurity, hunger and poverty. He warned that the likelihood of an outbreak is high and that is why measures should be put in place early to contain further spread.
Malawi University of Science and Technology associate professor and medical virologist Gama Bandawe echoed the call for vigilance, saying the detection of the two cases could indicate the presence of other undiagnosed cases. “We need to work hard to improve our water, sanitation and hygiene situation because that is the long-term solution to fighting cholera,” he said.
Ministry of Health and Sanitation spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe said yesterday all districts are required to conduct community engagement activities to promote hygiene and sanitation and to ensure adequate stocks of cholera supplies for both treatment and prevention.
According to Ministry of Health data, Malawi recorded 306 cholera cases and 15 deaths between September 2024 and March 2025. The worst recent cholera outbreak in the country occurred between 2022 and 2023, when 59,376 cases and 1,722 deaths were recorded.
In January this year, the Ministry of Health launched the Malawi Multisectoral Cholera Control Plan (2025-2030) to strengthen surveillance systems, improve access to clean water and sanitation, enhance community engagement, and ensure timely and effective treatment.
