* 583 new cases reported on Sunday with 13 deaths
* Lilongwe recorded 7 deaths followed by two each in Blantyre and Dedza and one each from Machinga and Thyolo
* Lilongwe recorded highest new case (186), Balaka (91), Mangochi (84) and Blantyre (83)
By Duncan Mlanjira
The rising of new cases of cholera and deaths that started on New Year’s Eve and forced the government to suspend opening of schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe districts, keep going upwards on a daily basis for the whole of January.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The situation report from the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus and Cholera, indicates that as of Sunday evening, the country reported 583 new cases.
Of the new deaths, the highest was recorded in Lilongwe (7), followed by two each in Blantyre and Dedza and one each from Machinga and Thyolo.
The new cases were from 17 districts, with highest in Lilongwe (186), Balaka (91), Mangochi (84) and Blantyre (83).
Advertisement
All 29 health districts have reported cholera cases since the first confirmation in March last year with Mangochi as the highest at 6,579 with 110 deaths; Blantyre (5,073/170 deaths); Lilongwe (4,484/283); Salima (2,587/67); Balaka (1,920/53); Nkhata Bay (1,514/44); Nkhotakota (1,295/53); Machinga (1,363/46); Dedza (1,091/46) and Rumphi (1,047/17).
Those with three digits are Karonga (933/25); Dowa (854/21); Chiradzulu (667/28); Thyolo (590/14); Mulanje (524/25) and Mzimba North (470/2)
Cumulative confirmed cases is at 33,608 with 1,093 deaths — at case fatality rate of 3.2% — while a total of 31,428 people have recovered with 1,087 in treatment units as of Sunday evening.
Advertisement
On January 1, there were 366 new cases with 19 deaths; 2nd (409/25); 5th (488/18); 6th (471/13); 7th (427/13); 8th 497/17; 9th 498/12); 10th (447/15); 11th (589/17); 12th (458/17); 14th (560/14); 15th (551/16); 16th (551/16); 17th (466/11); 18th (620/20); 19th (610/18); 20th (631/17); 21st (559/11); 22nd (599/28); 24th (626/12); 25th (620/21); 26th (590/22); 27th (575/18); 28th (602/15) and 29th (583/13).
Health Minister, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, who is the co-chairperson of the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus and Cholera, made special emphasis that the biggest danger of cholera is loss of fluid from the body.
She thus advised the public that when cases of diarrhea are detected they should not panic but act quickly by giving the patient a drink solution of oral rehydration salts (ORS) made with safe water (boiled or chlorinated).
The public is also advised to immediately seek medical attention at health centres or cholera treatment units and to continue drinking the ORS solution while seeking the care.
Cholera alert
In a related development, CoVID-19 has claimed 2,686 deaths from the cumulative figure of 88,432 cases recorded since the outbreak in 2020.
On January 25, 11 new cases were recorded — all locally transmitted — 10 from Blantyre and one in Lilongwe while 85,337 cases have since recovered at the rate of 96.50% with 290 cases being lost to follow up.
This brings the number of active cases to 119. On the same day, January 25, there were zero new admissions and zero discharges in treatment units and as of the same day there were non who were hospitalized.
Health Minister, is still encouraging the public that once they identify signs and symptoms of the disease— such as fever, cough, flu, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell or tiredness — to report early at nearest health facility
“This will help us identify the disease in the early stages so that appropriate care can be given immediately and if unsure of what to do to engage with health authorities by calling 929 free of charge,” Minister Chiponda said in the situation report.
