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Malawi Runs Out of Oral Cholera Vaccine As Death Toll Continues to Soar


Malawi has run out of oral cholera vaccine stocks, triggering fears of more cholera cases as the death toll continues to rise.

In the past 24 hours on Monday, 30 people died of cholera, bringing the number of deaths to 1,000.

Health authorities say they are now engaging the World Health Organisation (WHO) for possible support to procure a batch of the oral cholera vaccine following a depletion of stocks in facilities across the country.

About 29,500 cholera cases have been registered with more than 1000 deaths since March last year.

Malawi’s last receipt of the serum was in November where 2.9 million doses came into the country following a sharp increase in cases.

Co-chairperson of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid19 and Cholera, Wilfred Chalamira Nkhoma said while they acknowledge depletion of the country’s vaccine stocks, they are continuing to engage the WHO for further support.

Meanwhile, health rights advocate and Executive Director for the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) George Jobe, has called upon the WHO to make a special consideration for Malawi as it battles the outbreak.

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has urged government to ammend section 45(2)(h) of the Constitution, which protects the right to freedom of belief or religion, to address the issue of some people who are refusing to receive cholera vaccination or go to the hospital when they fall sick, based on religious doctrines.

CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa says people should remember that human rights, including the right to freedom of religion, come with responsibilities and one of those is to ensure that one is enjoying their rights without violating those of others.