Health
Malawi cholera outbreak death toll rises above 1,000
Malawi’s cholera outbreak has claimed more than 1,000 lives, according to the country’s health minister, who warned that some cultural beliefs and hostility toward health workers were slowing efforts to curb infections, AP reported.
Cholera had killed 1,002 people as of Tuesday, while 1,115 people were hospitalized from the outbreak that started in March 2022, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said. It’s the country’s worst outbreak of the waterborne illness in two decades.
The country of 20 million people recorded 12 deaths from 626 new cases in 24 hours, she said.
Frustration and suspicion over the rising cases resulted in weekend violence. Angry villagers beat up health workers and damaged a facility at the Nandumbo Health Centre in the Southern Region’s Balaka district.
Residents accused health workers of denying them an opportunity to conduct dignified burials. They forced some health workers to vacate the facility, stoned a cholera isolation ward and forced the discharge of 22 cholera patients.
Esnath Suwedi, vice-chairperson of the Nandumbo area’s development committee, a traditional local authority, said people thought the health workers were acting “mysteriously.”
Suwedi said residents alleged the workers were using contaminated syringes to inject people. The Balaka district is one of the worst affected areas, recording 46 deaths from 1,450 cases in the outbreak.
Cultural burial rites are also becoming a source of contention, Chiponda, the health minister, said during a daily briefing Tuesday.
“For example, people who are dying of or who have died from cholera may be washed by family members, who then prepare funeral feasts for family and friends held very soon after death. Outbreaks of cholera commonly follow these feasts,” the minister said.
Abdul Wali Haqqani, Afghanistan’s Deputy Public Health Minister for Health Services, has called for increased international assistance to strengthen the country’s health sector, stressing the need for sustained and growing financial support.
Speaking at the an international conference in Qatar, Haqqani highlighted critical needs in vaccination programs, primary healthcare, maternal and child health, and preparedness for emergency and epidemic diseases.
He emphasized that aligning international health assistance with Afghanistan’s national health policy would not only improve service quality but also ensure more effective and transparent management of resources.
The deputy minister added that the Ministry of Public Health views such global forums as vital for enhancing cooperation, building trust, and delivering equitable and sustainable healthcare services to the Afghan population.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has received a humanitarian contribution of $240,000 from Japan to support health services in Afghanistan.
WHO said in a statement the assistance will enable the organization to address urgent health needs while strengthening essential health services.
WHO’s share of the funding will support the continued delivery of life-saving care for the most vulnerable populations – including women, children and displaced families – with a particular focus on maintaining substance use treatment centres and ensuring the availability of critical emergency medical supplies where they are most needed, the statement said.
“We are thankful to the People and Government of Japan for standing with the people of Afghanistan at this challenging time. Their support helps keep essential health services running, including care for people with substance use problems and emergency medical services. This partnership allows WHO to respond quickly and deliver care to the communities that are most vulnerable,” said Edwin Ceniza Salvador, WHO Representative to Afghanistan.
Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan, Kenichi Masamoto, said: “Japan is deeply concerned about the ongoing challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan and is pleased to support WHO in strengthening essential health services. By prioritizing areas like substance use treatment and emergency care, Japan reaffirms its commitment to the health, resilience and future well-being of the Afghan people.”
WHO emphasized that it will continue working with national and international partners to improve health systems, enhance emergency preparedness, and ensure access to essential services across Afghanistan.
India has delivered a batch of ambulances to Afghanistan as health cooperation between the two countries continues to strengthen.
In October, during a visit by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, New Delhi announced its plan to donate 20 ambulances to Afghanistan as a gesture of goodwill.
The delivery forms part of the expanding partnership between the two countries in the healthcare sector. Recently, Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, visited New Delhi and noted that Kabul is exploring alternative avenues for procuring medicines, reducing reliance on Pakistan.
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