Africa-Press – Malawi. Only 40,000 cholera vaccine doses are remaining in the country, The Daily Times has learned. Presidential Taskforce on Covid and Cholera co-chairperson Wilfred Chalamira Nkhoma has confirmed the development.
He said the doses are not enough to cater for people that need them across the country. “The country received 2.9 million doses from WHO [World Health Organisation] during the third quarter of last year. Nine heavily affected districts were prioritised.
“When these districts did not use up their doses in time, the doses were redistributed to 13 other districts. As of Thursday last week, there were approximately 40,000 unallocated doses,” Nkhoma said.
He said discussions are continuing with WHO for more doses to be mobilised. Nkhoma has, however, pointed out that there is a shortage of cholera vaccines in the world at the moment.
He said everyone, including those that have been vaccinated, should use boiled water and chlorine if the water is sourced from public sources and in homes.
Meanwhile, Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director George Jobe has said, in the wake of the development, local councils should enforce precautionary measures, citing a ban on pre-cooked foods’ sales.
“It is high time councils started enforcing the ban on precooked foods vending along streets, in markets and bus depots.
“Local councils can also put in place bylaws, including those on the closure of markets, bus depots, entertainment centres and religious centres that do not have safe water and toilet facilities, including those belonging to councils,” Jobe said
Meanwhile the country has recorded 551 new cases of cholera in the past 24 hours. In a statement, the ministry says 16 people have died of the disease in the stated period.
The statement further says 825 people have died and 24,884 people have been affected since the onset of the outbreak. All 29 health districts of the country have reported cholera cases since the confirmation of the first case in Machinga District in March 2022.
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