Malawi: The Malawi Ministry of Education announced that they are working closely with the Ministry of Health to prevent cholera and Mpox outbreaks. The two organizations seek to control the spread of the infection in schools of the country.
The initiatives are especially crucial currently as learners enter the third week of the first term of the 2025/2026 school year.
The Ministry of Education, spokesperson Mphatso Nkuonera spoke to the media on Tuesday and commented on the situation. He announced that the ministry has received a report of cholera and Mpox outbreaks in some parts of Malawi.
He highlighted that the ministry knows about the outbreak situation and is also aware of the quick infection rate of both the diseases. The government has shared that teachers, school administrators, school committees, chiefs, et al, should support thee Ministry in their efforts
The stakeholders can help significantly in preventing any outbreak and that we should work together to protect learners,” he said.
Nkuonera said that the two ministries will continue working together. They will make sure that learners are safe from the outbreaks
Nkuonera asked the parents to remain cautious and take precautions to protect their children. He assured the parents that the Ministry of Education is monitoring the situation constantly.
Health expert, Mphatso Ngulube Chikwaza has also offered his insights into the issue. He said that first priority should be to follow best hygiene practices in our schools.
He advised the school stakeholders to ensure that the students are instilled with good hygiene practices. They should be given access to clean and safe drinking water along with other hygienic products.
The students should be encouraged to wash their hands and boil the water that they are drinking before consuming it. Cholera is one of the most dangerous diseases in the world, which has claimed countless lives in the nation.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022/2023 Malawi recorded 53,020 cases and 1,586 deaths. This was the timeframe for the last major outbreak of cholera in Malawi.