Cholera closes schools in Malawi

The closure of primary and secondary schools “is due to the recent and continuous increase in the number of cholera cases and deaths” caused by the disease, explained Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda.

Ms. Chiponda said that the start of the school year had been postponed for at least two weeks in the capital Lilongwe and the city of Blantyre (south), while students were to resume classes on Tuesday, following the holidays.

This advert “tardive” has been “taken solely in the interest of the health of our students”, she added. The impoverished southern African country has recorded nearly 18,000 cholera cases and 595 deaths since March. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this is the largest epidemic of this disease to affect the country for ten years.

Cholera is contracted by ingesting water or food contaminated with bacteria. It usually causes diarrhea and vomiting and can be very dangerous for young children.

On New Year’s Eve, Ms Chiponda renewed her appeal to religious leaders to encourage their followers to seek treatment when they show symptoms. Part of the population refuses treatment in the name of religious beliefs.

In September, the WHO reported a “worrying upsurge” in cholera around the world, following years of decline, with climate change adding to the usual factors such as poverty and conflict.

The disease affects between 1.3 million and 4 million people on the planet every year, causing up to 143,000 deaths.