The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Sidik Mia, received $ 858,000 worth donations of cholera treatment supplies on behalf of the Malawi Government from UNICEF Malawi at a symbolic ceremony held at Lilongwe District Health Office two days ago.
The donation includes sanitation and hygiene, water treatment, and cholera treatment supplies. UNICEF has also provided training for health workers on cholera case management and behavior change communication to the masses.
Speaking during the ceremony, Honorable Mia said expressed gratitude to UNICEF Malawi for the timely donation.
“These supplies will help to address the gap identified by the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 and Cholera and will complement the government’s efforts in the fight against the cholera outbreak,” said Mia
The Minister further bemoaned the occurrence at Area 25 Health Center, and she encouraged all stakeholders to have more community engagements and sensitizations; singling out late case reporting as the reason for the occurrence.
In his statement, UNICEF Country Representative to Malawi, Rudolf Schwenk, said other consignments are coming, and UNICEF will continue supporting government interventions in the fight against cholera until the fatality rate is reduced to a level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is a high demand for cholera treatments and vaccines due to the rise in cases and fatalities across the world, resulting in shortages of the same.
