Task force upbeat on containing cholera

The Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Cholera says its first meeting held on Tuesday found that the country is ready to contain the cholera outbreak despite a recent surge in cases.

Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chipondasaid this yesterday during a press conference in Lilongwe.

She said: “We are urging councils to lead the way by ensuring sanitation and hygiene. We are focusing on councils because they already have structures and can easily budget for sanitation activities.

“This is to do with sanitation and hygiene in public places within the councils.”

Chiponda, who is co-chairperson of the task force, said they have also agreed to urge people to watch what they eat and not ignore personal hygiene while enjoying the festive season.

The minister said while the Central Medical Stores Trust (CMST) has assured the task force that it has enough cholera supplies, development partners are also supporting the country in fighting the outbreak.

Before the briefing, Chiponda received cholera supplies worth $176 000 (about K180 million) from the World Health Organisation (WHO) meant to support cholera fight.

WHO country representative Neema Kimambo said this is the third time they are donating cholera supplies to Malawi in this last half of the year.

Health rights activist George Jobe said having in place the task force to spearhead the fight is a positive direction for the country because it will act as a focal point.

However, Consumers Association of Malawi executive director John Kapito accused the government of negligence that has led to the high number of deaths.

He said the government, among others, is failing to maintain and provide adequate sanitation and quality public health care in most parts of the country.

Kapito said: “Government is aware of the poor quality of health care and hygiene within our communities and markets. Our markets are the worst, unhygienic places where sewer spew is the source of water.

“Over time, authorities have failed to provide basic amenities to prevent these outbreaks and most of the markets and other public places do not have any public toilets and there is no provision of running piped water.”

President Lazarus Chakwera on December 8 declared cholera a public health emergency and directed that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 should take charge of cholera interventions.

As of December 21 2022, cumulative cholera cases were at 14 039, while the number of deaths was 418. About 415 are admitted in treatment centres nationwide.