Minister of Health Expresses Concern Over Poor Waste Management Fueling Cholera Spread in Cities

Malawi: Poor waste management in the country's cities is fueling cholera spread, according to Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, during a joint press briefing on Thursday, writes Kondwani Magombo, MANA.

Chiponda, who is also co-chair of the Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus and Cholera, urged all councils and institutions to ensure that cholera preventive measures are implemented all the time.

The Task Force also banned, with immediate effect, the vending of precooked foods along streets, in local markets and bus depots, and within school premises.

Despite the rising number of cases across the country, Chiponda announced that schools in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe will open on Tuesday, January 17.

This follows the Taskforce’s joint assessment with other stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, and the Ministry of Education, among others, on schools in the two cities during the two-week delay.

As of Wednesday, the country had recorded 22,759 cholera cases and 750 deaths since the first cases were recorded in March 2022.