By Dorica Mtenje
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-To step up cholera outbreak response Amref Health Africa in Malawi has donated cholera kits and medical supplies worth US$40,000 (MK40 million) to the Ministry of Health .
Country Manager for Amref Malawi, Hester Nyasulu made the official handover of the supplies at Lilongwe District Health Office on Thursday.
She said So far, Amref has donated supplies of over US$400,000 towards cholera response in Malawi since September 2022 with support from various donors.
” The medical supplies we are handing over today is in response to the call that the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health has made requesting individuals, institutions and donors to provide more resources to ensure that the current cholera outbreak is contained in the country.’‘
She said people may wish to know that as Amref they have already made some donations towards the same cholera fight in September last year but because the situation has escalated that’s why we have identified additional resources to support management of the outbreak.
She said they are thankful to the Bread for the World of Germany through Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) project for providing the funding that has enabled us to purchase these medical supplies which we believe will help to saving lives.’
Commenting on the donation, Acting Director of Health and Social Services for Lilongwe, Dr. Thokozani Liwewe said the support from Amref will go a long way in containing and managing the disease in the district.
“We are grateful to Amref for this timely support. As a district we have a huge need for such medical supplies which are very essential and critical in managing the outbreak,” said Liwewe.
She said since the country registered the first case of cholera in May last year it hasn’t been easy.
She adds that they have seen exponential rise in the number of cases which means the need for resources is so huge and they believe that the support from Amref will go a long way to save lives
“The donated cholera supplies comprise medical supplies such as Chlorine for household water treatment, gloves, hand sanitizers, cotton wool, 20L buckets, intravenous fluids (ringers lactate), giving sets, Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), and cannula needles and the supplies have been distributed to Lilongwe, Mangochi, Machinga, Zomba, Blantyre and Chikwawa districts,”said Liwewe.
She said Malawi is facing upsurge in cholera cases in all the 29 districts of the country affected.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Health has made fresh calls for more support towards the response as the country is running low on supplies.
The donation has been made possible with financial support from Bread for the World of Germany.
