Malawi Hosts Emergency Conference to Eradicate Cholera Pandemic in Africa

Malawi-Malawi is hosting a high-level emergency ministerial conference aimed at developing strategies to eradicate the cholera pandemic that has plagued African countries for decades, writes Memory Phoso.

Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda opened the conference, revealing that the meeting seeks to end Cholera by 2030.

"Malawi is doing everything it can to eliminate the pandemic in the country, with the ministry contributing over 40 percent of cholera cases recorded in African countries," said Chiponda.

Chiponda acknowledged the decrease in the number of cholera cases since the launch of the Tithetse cholera campaign by President Lazarus Chakwera.

She emphasized the ministry's commitment to eradicating the pandemic by conducting sensitization campaigns across all 29 districts.

"As we are in the middle of the Tithetse cholera campaign, we will visit all 29 districts in the country to do sensitization campaigns on how to prevent the cholera pandemic in the country," said Chiponda.

"Climate change is contributing to most of the health emergencies in the country," added Chiponda.

The conference, which has brought together 14 African countries to discuss various public health concerns, is crucial to finding ways to deal with the cholera pandemic.

"We believe that this high-level meeting will find solutions to eradicate the cholera pandemic in countries most affected," said the regional adviser for the World Health Organization (WHO), Ambrose Talisuna.

Talisuna emphasized the need for increased investment in the fight against cholera to ensure success.

As of February 16, 2023, Malawi had recorded a total of 45,784 confirmed cases and 1468 cholera-related deaths, having registered a first case on March 3, 2022, in Machinga District.