The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have stepped up their ongoing activities to support the Government of Malawi in containing and preventing the spread of this preventable disease in more districts.

In a statement on Wednesday, WHO said the outbreak, initially limited to the southern part of the country, had now spread to Malawi’s northern and central regions.

To date, 1,483 cases and 58 deaths have been recorded, with the case fatality rate at 3.9 per cent, according to a Government press statement issued on Monday.

Cases continue to rise outside the traditional hotspot districts, affecting lakeshore communities and crowded, urban areas with insufficient water and sanitation facilities.

“The impact of the larger outbreak will overwhelm the already overburdened public health services and health-care delivery systems in the country, so we must act now. The good news is that we know the solutions,” UNICEF Malawi representative Rudolf Schwenk said.

UNICEF and WHO are appealing to partners and donors for additional funds and support to address these challenges and contain the outbreak.

“Every death from cholera is preventable with the tools we have today,” WHO country representative Neema Kimambo said.

The representative said the UN agency would continue to support the Health Ministry in “implementing immediate and long-term cholera control, response and preventive measures.”

Meanwhile, WHO on Wednesday announced a new drive to find ways of revamping the African region’s health systems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of our continent’s health infrastructure and the urgent need to strengthen the overall health system,” WHO’s Africa Regional Director Matshidiso Moeti. “It highlights the urgent need to strengthen the health system to secure access to quality care for all Africa’s people, when and where they need it, without incurring financial hardship.”

To rethink and rebuild resilient health systems on the continent, WHO’s regional committee for Africa has been meeting this week in Lomé, Togo. 

There, they are examining measures in achieving universal access to health care and exploring how to maintain essential services during outbreaks and the investments and actions needed for quality medical products and health technologies.

“Domestic investment in health, including health research, has significant economic returns while promoting resilience and sustainability; healthy populations translate to healthy economies,” Ms Moeti said.

COVID-19 has exerted enormous pressure on health systems, adding to the African region’s existing health challenges, which responds to more than 100 health emergencies every year, according to WHO.

Emergencies trigger health programme shutdowns that undermine progress towards universal health coverage and lay bare inequities in access to health care.

A special event launched at the regional committee kicks off a collective process to support African countries as they ramp up efforts to recover from the pandemic-triggered disruptions and work to rebuild their health systems.

A series of consultations and actions will follow to support countries in achieving universal health coverage and health security. 

(NAN)