Malawi Vice President Urges Public to Reject Myths on Cholera Outbreak

Malawi-The Vice President of Malawi, Dr Saulos Chilima, has called on the public to stop believing in myths and misconceptions that contribute to the surge in cholera cases in the country, writes Memory Phoso.

Chilima made the appeal during a high-level emergency meeting organized by the Malawi government with support from the African CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) to find solutions for cholera-affected countries.

Chilima emphasized that the meeting would provide an opportunity for countries to strengthen collaboration and coordination for cross-border preparedness and response to cholera outbreaks and other climate-related health emergencies.

He urged everyone to take action after the meeting, as he believed it would bring solutions to deal with the outbreak in the country.

"The meeting has come at the right time when many African countries are fighting the cholera pandemic," said Chilima.

"The Malawi government is committed to eliminating the cholera pandemic in the country, but there is a need for collaboration among stakeholders to achieve this."

Meanwhile, the Acting Director-General for the Africa CDC, Dr Ahmed Ongwell Ouma, expects that after the meeting, countries will develop strategies to stop the spread of cholera.

In her remarks, Fiona Blacker, Emergency Response Monitor for the WHO Regional Office for Africa, said that climate change played a critical role in the current pandemic.

"I believe the coming together of these sectors will bring tangible results to deal with the pandemic in the affected countries," said Blacker.

Zambian Minister of Health, Sylvia Maseko, disclosed that Zambia managed to reduce the spread of cholera by citizens' high uptake of the cholera vaccine. She urged Malawians to follow suit.

Malawi recorded the first case of the cholera outbreak in March last year.