Karonga has become the latest district after Mzimba and Rumphi to register new cholera cases, bringing the cumulative number of affected districts to 15 out of 28.

Karonga District Hospital spokesperson Estery Nyirenda said on Tuesday the district recorded two cases at Chilumba Rural Hospital where the patients were taken to after showing diarrhoea symptoms.

She said: “The two are currently receiving treatment at a make-shift cholera camp. But we also have suspected cases which are being monitored and treated in the make-shift cholera camp.”

Nyirenda said the district hospital collected and tested three samples but only two came out positive.”

Mzuzu City in Mzimba and Rumphi District recorded one and two cases on Saturday, respectively.

The surge in cholera cases in the Northern Region follows an outbreak in Nkhata Bay two weeks ago where 12 people died.

Health experts last week feared that the outbreak would extend to surrounding districts which borders Nkhata Bay.

In an interview on Tuesday, Malawi Health Network executive director George Jobe called on Ministry of Health to be innovative to contain the outbreak before it kills more people in affected districts.

He said: “It is very unfortunate that we facing such problems. Cholera must be contained as it can kill within a short space of time and can spread very fast.”

Ministry of Health said in a statement on Monday that it will intensify the administration of oral cholera vaccines, set up treatment centres in all affected areas, conduct pot-to-pot chlorination of water in communities, among other things, as containment measures.

The affected districts are Nsanje, Chikwawa, Neno, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Machinga, Balaka, Mangochi, Lirangwe, Nkhata Bay Nkhotakota, Mzimba and Rumphi.

As of Sunday, a total of 32 new cases and two deaths were reported. The cumulative cases and deaths reported since the onset of the outbreak is 1 653 and 64 respectively.

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