Over 180 die in Malawi as cholera death toll rises

The death toll from a cholera outbreak in Malawi has risen from 110 to no fewer than 180. This was stated by the minister of health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, who raised the possibility that the situation might worsen.

The first case of the crippling infection, which spreads primarily through contaminated food and water, was reported in March in Machinga’s southern district.

The case fatality rate has risen to 3% from 2.8% at the beginning of October, according to Khumbize, who also stated that the total number of infections since the outbreak began is 5,939..

Khumbize, who attributed the deaths to poor food hygiene among the communities, lack of safe water and a lack of and improper use of toilets also noted that some patients were not seeking treatment for religious reasons, while others were visiting hospitals when it was already late.

He appealed to religious institutions to encourage their members to seek proper health services to avoid “unnecessary” loss of lives, urging religious organisations to encourage their members to seek proper health care in order to avoid “unnecessary” loss of life.