Combating a Cholera Outbreak in Malawi

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”#e5e1d8″ background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text]Unclean water and a lack of basic sanitation are a deadly combination in the fight against disease and ending extreme poverty.

Right now, millions of people in the country of Malawi struggle to put food on the table, and a recent cholera outbreak has made the struggle even more difficult.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, and poor sanitation and severe flooding has created an environment for cholera to spread quickly. Contaminated water contributes to more than 90 percent of the cholera cases.

Cholera kills by rapidly dehydrating victims’ bodies through profuse diarrhea and vomiting, and vulnerable, rural communities often can’t access health services for immediate rehydration services.

The Machinga district in the southern region of Malawi registered its first cases of cholera in August 2015.

PCI partnered with local district health offices to launch a rapid response to immediately address the growing concerns in the area, coordinate activities, and communicate updates regularly.

PCI’s USAID-funded Njira project began implementing cholera-prevention interventions through hygiene training with a mother-to-mother health education strategy called the Care Group (CG) methodology. The training covers almost all aspects of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) including water treatment, personal and food hygiene, and environmental sanitation. Following this training, over 1,900 CG volunteers reached nearly 40,000 households with an orientation on hygiene and sanitation throughout Machinga and neighboring Balaka district.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”#e5e1d8″ background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”” video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”” video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none” last=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text]

Along with the CG volunteers, PCI staff distributed and demonstrated the proper use of thousands of water purification sachets throughout the at-risk communities. These water purification sachets can each purify 10 liters of water, and keep families safe from cholera.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none” last=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all”][fusion_text]

PCI’s efforts have contributed to slowing destructive progress of the cholera outbreak, but the work is far from over. The district has thus far registered 530 cases and 11 deaths cumulatively.

To stop the epidemic, PCI continues to implement sanitation campaigns, orient health workers in cholera preparedness, and monitor water quality in local boreholes to ensure the drinking water is safe.

In the peak of Malawi’s rainy season, vigilance and a quick emergency response in the affected districts is critical.

Cholera remains a crisis in Malawi, and we cannot drop our guard until zero new cases and deaths are reported.

By Kurt Henne, Country Director, Malawi, PCI[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]