The Malawi Government is scaling up free water connections, prioritising areas that are prone to outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera. Liana Kakhobwe Chapota spoke about the importance of this step by the government.
The country is experienced in dealing with outbreaks of cholera. They successfully controlled one of the deadliest outbreaks of the disease in 2023. The administration is still dedicated to ensuring that the outbreak can not return to the country and claim any more lives.
Accordingly, they are increasing their efforts to make sure that the people of the country are safe and secure.
According to Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Liana Kakhobwe Chapota, her ministry will ensure there is constant availability of clean and safe drinking water. Cholera infection is currently affecting Malawi’s neighbouring nation, Zambia and has claimed over 14,000 lives as of Thursday, January 25.
The outbreak in Zambia also puts some regions of Malawi at risk for infections. Thus, the administration is dedicated to working to make sure infections do not happen in large clusters.
“Government also continues to implement the free water connection policy for all the water boards with priority being the hotspot /cholera prone areas,” Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation said.
Chapota further said that since the free water connections commenced, about 27,642 households have benefited countrywide. The communities are now better equipped to deal with the cholera infections.
Since the onset of the new cholera season on November 1, Malawi has registered 49 laboratory-confirmed cholera cases. Two deaths, out of these, have been reported from 10 health districts.
The figures, according to a press release on cholera and COVID-19 epidemics released last week, are in sharp contrast to the 11,052 laboratory-confirmed cases, and 374 deaths, reported over the same period in 2022.
On her part, Oxfam Malawi Country Director, Lingalireni Mihowa, stressed the need to swiftly implement activities that would help improve people’s hygiene and access to clean water to fight against the cholera spread.