Minister Muluzi assesses cholera situation in Karonga, hails health workers

Minister of Health Atupele Muluzi this week visited Karonga to assess the cholera situation following an outbreak.

The minister has since commended health workers for their dedication and hard working in ensuring that the cholera outbreak is contained.

Muluzi said he was pleased with the response from the Karonga District Health Office (DHO) despite the conditions they are working within.

To date, there have been two deaths out of 88 cases.

The minister asked traditional and religious leaders to join hands in sensitising their subjects to the need of practicing hygiene, especially having decent toilets, to prevent cholera cases during this rainy season.

He said: “Communities should prevent the spread of the outbreak to ease the number of affected people by washing hands before preparing food, breastfeeding, after changing a baby’s nappies and visiting the toilet.”

Muluzi also appealed to the communities to avoid taking raw food and to use safe clean water at all times to prevent the spread of the outbreak in the area.

The Malawi Red Cross Society and other well-wishers are already on the ground providing materials to help people affected by cholera.

Karonga acting DHO Phinias Mfune said the outbreak has occurred due to the fact that the affected villages were drinking unprotected water which is contaminated.

He observed that the communities in the areas have been fetching water from contaminated sources since some of the boreholes are not functional; hence, the cholera cases.

Information provided by Karonga District Council shows that since the beginning of last month, two people have died from Kaporo and Nyungwe health centres and 88 cases have been registered. Earlier this month, two cases of cholera were also reported in Dowa District.

Karonga has a population of 359 080 people and 78 percent of households have toilets while 80 percent has access to safe water.

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