By ARNALDO VIEIRA
Wednesday February 22, 2023
A health worker stands in front of a ward of a cholera treatment centre at Bwaila Hospital in the Malawi capital Lilongwe. The UN and other humanitarian partners on February 20, 2023 announced they are seeking $45.3 million to help Malawians affected by a deadly cholera outbreak. PHOTO | AMOS GUMULIRA | AFP
The UN and Malawian humanitarian partners on Monday said they are appealing for $45.3 million to assist 4 million people devastated by the country’s deadliest cholera outbreak in recent history.
As of Monday, Malawi had recorded 1,476 deaths and 46,219 cases of cholera since the outbreak in March, which has affected all the 29 districts of the country.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), this funding will support the Malawi government-led response over the next five months.
“The flash appeal aims to help the people most at risk and hardest hit by the outbreak through health, water and sanitation, nutrition, education and protection services,” OCHA said.
Deadliest cholera outbreak
The deadliest cholera outbreak in Malawi's history has also spread to the neighbouring countries of Mozambique and Zambia.
Last week, Mozambique government said that the death toll from cholera had risen to 16, with almost 1,400 cases recorded.
Most of the cases have been reported in Niassa northern province of Mozambique and the authorities suspect that cases are being imported from Malawi.
The World Health Organisation has also reported cases of cholera in Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Somalia.