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An outbreak of cholera in Malawi got dramatically worse during October, rising from 110 cases at the beginning of the month to 183 at the start of November.
The rate of cholera infections has been rising at a rapid rate, with the total number of infections since the outbreak began in March at around 6,056, the health ministry announced earlier in the week.
The outbreak is the most severe Malawi has suffered in over two decades.
The Nkhata Bay District is the most affected with 1,128 cases and 31 deaths, followed by Nkhotakota (811 cases and 40 deaths), Rumphi (783 cases and 13 deaths), and Blantyre (650 cases and 26 deaths), Crisis24 reported.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection often picked up by eating or drinking contaminated food or water and is linked to poor sanitation.
Symptoms of cholera include watery diarrhoea, vomiting, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, restlessness, or irritability.
These symptoms are said to appear two to three days after being exposed.
Malawi’s health ministry explained the deaths are a result of poor hygiene in several communities that do not have access to clean water and proper toilets.
Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said several people infected with cholera were refusing to receive treatment for religious reasons while others were seeking medical attention only when it was already too late.
Chiponda urged all religious establishments to encourage their congregations to seek medical attention to avoid the unnecessary loss of life.
The Ministry of Health is using vaccination campaigns and contact tracing to slow the spread of the disease.
Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
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