Africa-Press – Malawi. Dowa District Hospital’s Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Precious Mzungu, has called for multi-sectoral collaboration to contain the outbreak of cholera in the district.
Mzungu observed that the communities in the district particularly in the hard to reach areas are not complying with the preventive and management measures for cholera outbreak saying they are still using untreated water from shallow wells.
He said communities in the district are still dancing to the tune of cholera, boreholes are far away. The officer also added that some communities in the areas of Traditional Authority (T.A) Chiwere do not use latrines properly hence practice open defecation in the nearby bushes saying this is putting them at risk of cholera. He said Dzaleka Health Centre recorded nine cases saying surprisingly seven cases were from outside the camp while two were from the camp.
He said it was also established that communities of Chiwere do not use latrines despite the area four years ago declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, people are still using the bushes to answer the calls of nature as the whole area is hilly claiming that some people are resisting chlorine opting to use the same unprotected water.
Mzungu said religious beliefs is also fueling the further spread of cholera in the district saying health officials accompanied by police officers confronted members of the Zion Church of Matekenya for a follow-up case and contact tracing of a cholera suspect.
The officer said the District Health Response Team is still lobbying for funds from partners to conduct community awareness meetings with churches, schools and food and hygiene premises infection saying with a little resource to support the District Health Office they can cover many areas as only 3 out of 25 places have been visited.
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