By Dean Chisambo
Government has launched five years multi – sectoral national cholera control plan which will run from 2025 – 2030 inline with recommendation from World Health Organisation (WHO).
Speaking during the launch on Thursday in Lilongwe, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said as a country they are trying their level best to make sure that they end cholera by the year 2030.
Chiponda said they have put plans and strategies and they are doing with multi- sectoral inorder to contain the outbreak.
She said : ” we are doing this correctly, we will come together and make sure that issues of cholera should be history in Malawi.”
Chiponda mentioned that currently there are two hundred and sixty something cases of cholera across the country.
She stated that they are trying to manage the cholera in hotspot areas through prevention and promotive health.
Chiponda added that they have put in place implementation plans which will be coordinated by the presidential task force on public health emergencies.
She said : ” the presidential task force will be responsible to make sure that the plan is implemented in all the sectors.”
In his remarks United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) representative Shadrac Omol hailed the government for showing political leadership to be able to control the cholera and prevent further outbreaks in future.
Omol further said they are looking for long term solution of the outbreak and  underline causes of cholera.
He added that their role in any country is to
acompany thegovernment in the implementation of the plan through providing resources and technical expertise for the benefit of the community and population.
On her part Red Cross Director of Programmes and Development Grolia Kunyenga said since the plan has been launched there is a need to hold
hands between government and organisations through resource mobilisation,   inorder the work to be done in all the affected  districts and to help in saving the people who are involved with cholera.
In between 2022 – 2023 Cholera killed 1700 Malawian across the country.
