Cape Town [South Africa], February 10:Malawi is in the midst of the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Since the outbreak of the disease in the southern African country almost a year ago, 1,210 cholera deaths and nearly 37,000 infections have been recorded, the WHO said on Thursday. All 29 administrative districts of Malawi are affected.
Cholera has been endemic in the country of 20 million inhabitants since 1998, but has previously always been limited to seasonal outbreaks during the rainy season from November to May. However, the current outbreak, which began on March 3, 2022, has extended beyond the dry season, the WHO said. The Malawian government declared a health emergency in early December,based on the ongoing rainy season, the large geographical spread of the disease and a consistently high death rate of more than 3%. The WHO said there had been a sharp increase in cases in January, with the country's health system already overstretched.
According to the WHO, the outbreak in Malawi occurs against the backdrop of a worldwide increase in cholera outbreaks, which limited the availability of vaccines, tests and treatments.
Cholera is an acute bacterial intestinal infection transmitted through unclean drinking water or food. The disease is easily treatable with medication, but if left untreated it can lead to kidney failure and death due to significant fluid loss.
Source: Qatar Tribune