By Naomi Langisi

Ministry of Health has announced the end of Cholera outbreak in the country effective July 10, 2024.

This declaration comes after four weeks of no confirmed Cholera cases, indicating that the transmission chains of the disease have been fully interrupted.

These efforts significantly reduced the number of Cholera cases, and the outbreak was eventually declared no longer a National Public Health Emergency on August 5, 2023.

However, rare cases continued to be reported in high-risk districts, prompting continued surveillance and control measures.

Secretary for Health, Dr. Samson Mndolo, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their efforts in fighting the outbreak.

“We acknowledge the role played by all stakeholders, including the public, in the response efforts. We will continue to be vigilant and support multi-sectoral Cholera prevention and control interventions to ensure that any upsurges of diarrhea diseases are timely identified and controlled,” he said.

Community Health Ambassador, Maziko Matemba urged the government to ensure that all health services are available and to sensitize the public about the deadly disease to avoid future recurrence.

“The intensive surveillance and control measures implemented by the government have been instrumental in halting the outbreak. However, it is crucial that the public continues to observe prevention measures to prevent future outbreaks,” he added.

Malawian citizen, Judith Kabuluzi, expressed relief that the outbreak has ended and thanked all stakeholders who have been working hand in hand with the government to end the outbreak.

“I’m so grateful that the cholera outbreak has been declared over. It’s been a challenging time for our community, but we’re thankful for the government’s efforts in controlling the outbreak,” she said.

The Ministry of Health urges the public to continue observing prevention measures, including drinking safe water, practicing food hygiene, regular hand washing with soap, consistent use of toilets, and reporting any suspected cholera cases to the nearest health facilities.

Since the outbreak was declared on March 3, 2022, the country has reported a total of 59,376 cases and 1,772 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of three percent.

The President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, declared a National Public Health Emergency on December 5, 2022, which led to intensified implementation of preventive and control interventions.