By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, January 26, Mana: Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has said poor hygiene, lack of safe water, late health care seeking behavior were contributing to the increase in Cholera cases in the country.
Kandodo said this at World Vision Malawi offices in Blantyre during official handover ceremony of Cholera medical supplies worth K90 million donated by World Vision Malawi to government as the organizations response to the Cholera.
“Cholera response calls for corrective responsibility adding the medical supplies received had come at the right time and will help to fight against cholera outbreak in the country.
“The Cholera supplies we have received today from World Vision Malawi are the supplies which we need in our fight against the outbreak and this will help the government to scale up chorale activities,” added Kandodo.
She then expressed gratitude to World Vision Malawi for donating the medical supplies saying this will help to re-strategise the Cholera control interventions in the country.
In an interview National Director for World Vision Malawi Francis Dube said the donation was part of the organizations role in curbing Cholera outbreak.
“Today’s donation is part and parcel of other activities that World Vision Malawi has been carrying out to compliment government efforts in dealing with Cholera. This is one way of making sure the country has appropriate treatment tools,” said Dube.
He said as an organization they were also carrying out different community engagements as the disease is mostly high in communities with poor hygiene.
“We are supporting communities by distributing chlorine, conducting water point assessment to ascertain functionality of boreholes and we are also supporting training of heath care workers on Cholera management,” said Dube
Some of the items that World Vision Malawi handed donated include; Cannula, liquid hand washing soap, plastic gumboots, heavy duty gloves, Lingers lactate, Drip stand, HtH 25kgs Disposable face masks, 20 litres buckets with taps and Aqua tabs.
As of 25th January 2023 the cumulative confirmed cases and deaths reported since the onset of the outbreak is 31,241 and 1,023 respectively, with case fatality rate at 3.27 percent.
