Cholera Outbreaks Worsen in Malawi Due to Misconceptions and Vandalized Health Centres

Malawi: Recently, two health centres in Balaka and Lilongwe have been vandalized and closed due to misconceptions about cholera in the country, writes Meclina Chirwa.

In an effort to address the issue, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda toured the Area 18 Health Center and Likuni and Nkhoma Mission Hospitals in Lilongwe to assess their efforts in containing the disease.

Chief Clinical Officer at Area 18 Clinic, Kedson Masiyano, said that despite their efforts, the facility is still seeing a high number of cholera cases.

"We are badly hit by cholera, we have recorded about 336 cases, which is a lot for a health facility serving a population of 280,000. One of the problems we are facing is that some people are coming to the clinic critically ill due to religious and cultural beliefs."

However, he emphasized that the facility would continue to provide good services and promote good hygiene practices with support from the government and organizations like WHO and UNICEF.

WHO Country Representative Neema Kimambo praised the government's efforts in addressing the cholera outbreak but noted that Malawi has been hit hard, with three percent of deaths recorded, compared to the normal fatality rate of one percent.

"The higher numbers make it more difficult to control the situation, but WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Health to control the situation and will continue to provide support."

Minister Chiponda stressed the importance of community engagement in fighting the disease.

She said, "One of the biggest challenges we are facing is the myths and misconceptions. Many people have died from cholera because of cultural and religious beliefs; they are not allowed to seek medical help. So we need to intensify community engagement to address this challenge."

To address this challenge, the ministry will soon embark on a mass awareness campaign to educate people on how to prevent cholera.