Malawi’s deadliest cholera outbreak on record has killed over 1,000 people, despite the fact that the number of patients has risen to 30,621, according to health minister Khumbize Chiponda. According to the World Health Organization, the death toll released on Tuesday eclipsed the biggest documented outbreak, which killed 968 people between 2001 and 2002. (WHO). On Wednesday, Chiponda urged people to use extreme caution when touching the remains of cholera victims before funerals.
“Cholera patients may be cleansed by family members, who then prepare funeral feasts… “Cholera epidemics frequently follow these feasts,” she explained. Chiponda also asked people to use chlorine and disposable body bags for disinfection. The majority of the deaths happened in the two main cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre, where students had recently returned to school after schools were closed to try to control the spread. Cholera strikes the southern African country on a regular basis during the rainy season, from November to March, with mortality often hovering around 100. However, pollution levels were especially high during and after the holiday season in 2022. Malawi got over three million doses of oral cholera vaccine from the UN in November 2022 to boost its immunization program, but case numbers continue to grow. Adrian Chikumbe, a spokesperson for the health ministry, told AFP that all dosages had been utilized. He went on to say that “the fact that there is only one cholera vaccine producer worldwide makes acquiring the life-saving medicine tough,” fostering rivalry amongst nations in need. Cholera, which causes diarrhea and vomiting, is caused by a bacteria that is usually spread by contaminated food or water.
According to George Jobe, head of the organization Malawi Health Equity Network, falsehoods and disinformation flowing online are exacerbating an already terrible situation. “Most people don’t think we have cholera,” he explained. Furthermore, “certain religions do not allow their [ill] members to travel to the hospital.” After years of decrease, the WHO warned in September that there was a “worrying uptick” in cholera outbreaks worldwide, with climate change adding to classic drivers such as poverty and violence. Every year, the illness affects between 1.3 million and four million individuals globally, killing up to 143,000 people.
