Malawi receives 2 million doses of vaccines to contain the Cholera outbreak

MALAWI – Malawi has received about 2 million doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) from the Global Emergency Stockpile funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance in an effort to contain the spread of the water-borne disease.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with bacteria that affects both children and adults and if left untreated and it can kill within hours.

The disease can be prevented if community health structures are financially empowered to effectively perform their task of educating communities on matters of hygiene and sanitation particularly in flood-prone areas.

Earlier, Southern Malawi reported an increase in cholera cases which health authorities blame on flooding from a recent tropical storm and cyclone where more than 30 people have been infected with two fatalities.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has approved a total of 3.9 million oral cholera vaccines to support the first round of the oral cholera vaccination campaign in Malawi especially in the flood-affected districts.

The first round of the cholera vaccination campaign will target 1.9 million adults and children from one-year old upwards living in flood-affected and cholera-prone districts who will receive two doses of cholera vaccines two weeks apart.

The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners will support Malawi in conducting the cholera vaccination campaign over the next few weeks as part of health interventions aimed at reducing the spread of the water-borne disease.

WHO has also donated assorted cholera investigation, laboratory and case management kits valued at US$78,000 to the Malawi Ministry of Health to strengthen preparedness and response to cholera outbreak in vulnerable populations.

The Ministry of Health is also currently distributing chlorine to communities in affected areas for water treatment as well as sending cholera control information to all the people through various channels of communication.

Additionally, Malawian health authorities have put in place preventive measures to control the spread of Cholera amid outbreak in the southern Malawi region such as surveillance and contact tracing.

The health ministry has introduced health workers such as Health Surveillance Assistants in all undocumented entry points where they are conducting health promotion in water treatment efforts, health talks and other related health topics.

UNICEF is collaborating with Malawian health authorities to support sanitation of the cholera treatment centers that have been established to prevent them from becoming a source of infection.

In addition to that, the health officials are carrying out important health talks in evacuation camps where there are a lot of people and discussions with surrounding communities intended to develop positive attitudes towards health issues.

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