Cholera outbreak kills 620 in Malawi

Cholera has killed 620 people in Malawi since the onset of the outbreak early last year, Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda announced.

As of Monday, 18,222 cumulative cases of cholera had been confirmed, with the country recording 16,780 people recovered and 822 still in treatment centers.

In a statement, Ms. Chiponda added that in the previous 24 hours, the country reported a total of 409 new cases, 25 new deaths, and 10 new suspected cases.

“All the 29 health districts have reported cholera cases since the confirmation of the first case in March in Machinga district,” she said.

Earlier on Monday, the country’s government postponed the opening of primary and secondary schools for at least two weeks in the Blantyre and Lilongwe districts.

The new term was set to begin on January 3, but the increasing cases of cholera infections and deaths forced the government to cancel school reopening plans as it deals with the outbreak.

Cholera is contracted from a bacterium that is generally transmitted through contaminated food or water.

It causes diarrhea and vomiting and can be especially dangerous for young children.