Thyolo DHO Calls for Cholera Support
Thyolo district health authorities have admitted that cholera is spreading rapidly needing a swift response to contain it.
Chief preventive health officer George Chitimbe, says as of Tuesday, cholera cases in Thyolo had risen to 34, a week after five and one death were registered in the district, especially in Didi area.
Chitimbe told Zodiak Online after a Joint District Rapid Response Team meeting that they are now sourcing resources and engaging various strategies such as, food inspection, refreshing the Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) to prevent and following up the cases in the communities.
"We are not happy because we were supposed to contain it from the start. We are still working with the HSAs on the ground, community structures including traditional leaders. We have some resources that we have started with, but you know resources are never adequate. So still more we are looking for other resources from partners", Chitimbe appealed.
Earlier, Thyolo flea market Chairperson Evance Kachingwe, said they have stepped up sanitation measures to ensure that the market does not become the hotspot for the outbreak, such as placing water buckets in all the sections.
"Our toilets are clean and water is available here. We have also put hand washing utensils in all our 29 market sections so that there is hygiene at all times," said Kachingwe.
Now, Malawi has cumulatively registered 180 cholera deaths and 5, 932 cases with more new cases now being registered in Thyolo district.