Africa-Press – Malawi. The European Union (EU) has provided 1.5 million Euros (about K1,696,500 billion) to the Malawi Government as part of the cholera emergency response. In a statement released Thursday, the EU says the funds are part of its humanitarian support to Malawi in its efforts to address the ongoing cholera epidemic in the country.
It says, considering that the current cholera epidemic “is considered the worst in a decade”, EU member states felt duty-bound to help Malawians address the problem.
By Wednesday this week, cumulative cases reached the 49,965 mark, with 1,578 fatalities after five patients died on Wednesday. EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said they are hopeful that the funds will go a long way in stemming cholera cases in Malawi.
“Cholera remains a tragic reality for many countries. Unsafe and contaminated water sources and poor hygiene practices are among the main factors increasing the risk of the disease spreading. Our funding will support our humanitarian partners on the ground in controlling and eventually vanquishing the disease,” he says.
The EU has also increased by 500,000 Euros [about K565,500,000] its contribution to an ongoing United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund project through which life-saving health and water access and sanitation services are being offered to cholera-affected communities to improve case management and reduce deaths.
The initial funding, of 540,000 Euros (about K610,740,000), had been allocated in November 2022 to support the United Nations agency in its efforts to combat cholera.
Apart from these interventions, the EU has supported the World Health Organisation with 1.5 million Euros to support it in procuring essential supplies to strengthen its rapid response capabilities, carry out district-level forecasting for supplies and develop a multi-partner information-sharing system for the best use of resources.
In 2022, the EU also released emergency funding for cholera epidemics in other parts of the world, including Syria, Ethiopia and Haiti. The EU and its member states are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid.
Through the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Department, the EU helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year.
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