District chief preventive health officer, Penjani Chunda, says it is encouraging that the district is now registering around 30 new cholera cases on daily basis unlike 100 plus cases some weeks ago.

“We know that some districts do not have cholera doses but we are remaining with some 8, 000 doses which will be administered to people but let me emphasize that the most important thing is for people to adhere to hygiene practices and water treatment,” said Chunda.

He added that the office is now closely working with chiefs to make communities take steps to fight the diseases.

“There is now less resistance from people because chiefs are helping us. Communities are adhering to hygiene practices and receiving vaccines to curb cholera,” he said.

This is when the ministry of health announced that the country had depleted all cholera vaccine doses with hope to get another consignment in the near future.

UNICEF health specialist, Dr Jacqueline Chinkonde, said her organisation will continue working with chiefs and other community leaders to ensure that there is positive communication and behavioral change amongst people to curb cholera and Covid 19.

“Apart from chiefs, we are also working with the ministry of health and other key partners like World Health Organisation (WHO) to make sure that the campaign reaches the last mile,” said Dr Chinkonde.

That aside, with support from UNICEF, journalists had the chance to visit Namphungo health centre in Mulanje and Lundu health centre in Blantyre where guardians and cholera survivors from surrounding villages commended health workers for the work they are doing to treat cholera patients.

Senior Chief Chikumbu of Mulanje and Traditional Authority Lundu of Blantyre have since promised to continue encouraging their subjects to follow all cholera preventive measures.