Malawi plans to cut cholera cases by 90% in five years
Malawi has launched a five-year plan to fight cholera and reduce its spread by 90% by 2030.
The country also aims to lower the death rate from the disease to less than 1%.
The Malawi Multi-sectoral Cholera Control Plan (MMCCP) was announced on January 16. This will improve how different sectors work together to stop and control cholera outbreaks.
According to Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, the move is important because Malawi has struggled with cholera outbreaks since the disease was first reported there in 1973.
From March 2022 to January 2025, the country recorded 61,639 cholera cases and 1,786 deaths. The outbreaks are linked to a lack of clean water, poor sanitation, and bad hygiene in many homes.
Natural disasters, including cyclones Ana, Freddy, and Gombe, have made the problem worse by damaging health systems, according to the minister.
Malawi has also started giving oral cholera vaccines in five districts where the disease is most common. Since September 2024, these areas have reported 263 cases and 14 deaths.
