Ministry warns on looming cholera threat

Ministry of Health has warned of another cholera threat from Zambia after an outbreak in that country killed 195 people last week.

Zambia has recorded more than 5 070 cholera cases since October 2023 and the opening of primary and secondary schools has since been delayed to January 29 2023 due to a surge in cases.

At least 371 new cases and 20 deaths were registered within 24 hours on Saturday, according to Zambia’s Ministry of Health statistics The Nation has seen.

Speaking at a press conference in Lilongwe on Friday, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said the country had already recorded 47 cholera cases with two deaths between November 1 and December 31 2023.

She said the affected districts include Karonga, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Balaka, Phalombe, Nsanje, Blantyre, Thyolo and Mulanje

While urging caution, Chiponda, however, said the number of cases is on a much lower side if compared to the same period in 2022 at the onset of the 2022-23 rainy season when more than 11 000 cases were registered.

“In terms of disease burden, we are in a much better situation at the moment, but we still need to remain vigilant.

“Cholera is easily preventable but at the same time if we do not follow the preventive measures, it can spread very quickly,” she said.

The minister added that there are a number of interventions underway to contain the spread including community engagement adding that hospitals have been stocked with medical supplies needed to treat cholera patients.

Health rights activist Maziko Matemba yesterday urged authorities to be vigilant and intensify surveillance to avoid experiencing worse

He said: “We need to strengthen surveillance systems in our borders. Hospitals and health centres in our borders require resources, they cannot work without support.”

World Health Organisation (WHO) said Mozambique, which also shares borders with Malawi, has been battling to contain cholera outbreak which had spread to 19 districts by November end 2023

In the 2022-23 outbreak, all the 28 districts recorded some cases, with a cumulative number of cases nationally surpassing 58 000 since the first case was reported in Machinga District in March 2022.

WHO describes cholera as an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with bacterium vibrio cholerae that can kill within hours if untreated.

Malawi experienced a devastating outbreak between 2022 and 2023 when more than 1 700 people out of the 20 million population died.