Malawi's Cholera Outbreak Hampered by Religious Beliefs on Vaccines

Malawi-The deadly cholera outbreak in Malawi has become a serious public health concern, and the country's Ministry of Health has confirmed that it is probably the deadliest cholera outbreak in two decades, writes Francis Botha.

As of 26 February 2023, the country had cumulatively registered 48,815 cholera cases and 1547 deaths, for a fatality rate of 3.17%.

The outbreak has overwhelmed public health service delivery, which is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic devastation.

All 29 districts of the country have been affected, according to the Malawi Ministry of Health.

According to Saiti Chikwapulo, a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) specialist for the Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid Malawi Joint Country Programme, the key preventive strategy for cholera outbreaks is mass vaccination and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene.

However, vaccine hesitancy has hindered the mass immunization drive.

A joint communique by Malawi's most influential faith grouping comprising the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi (QMAM), Episcopal Association of Malawi (ECM), Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM), Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), and the Malawi Union Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (MUCO) highlights that vaccine hesitancy is being fueled by religious and cultural beliefs.

The communique states that vaccine hesitancy is being driven by uninformed religious beliefs that have become counterproductive in the fight against cholera and COVID-19.

Some uninformed religious beliefs have become counterproductive in the fight against cholera and COVID-19, and religious teachings are not in tandem with the medically proven preventive measures.

The communique urges all faith leaders and congregants to become and remain advocates for disease prevention and treatment, which they say has always proven effective in bringing about positive change in community health.

Sr Huguette Ostiguy, MIC, a renowned therapist with the Malawi Counselling Association (MCA), says vaccine hesitancy is a manifestation of fear of the unknown in most people.

She says, "When people are afraid, they can come up with anything to counter knowledge or medical discovery. Vaccines are neither a depopulation strategy nor a sign of a lack of faith in God's complete protection."

The faith leaders' communiqué made a declaration of commitment to vaccine promotion.

It states that COVID-19 and cholera, like all other health epidemics, are public health issues where no one is safe until everyone is safe.

It states that regardless of one's faith, all people share a common belief in doing everything possible to protect communities from deadly diseases and to provide communities with a safe environment.

Malawi's faith leaders are committed to promoting a heightened focus on hygiene and sanitation, in keeping with religious teachings and sacred texts that emphasize cleanliness as an element of holiness, while they rally behind the government's comprehensive vaccination programme.

The KfW German Bank funded the faith leaders' activities under the N'zatonse Project.