Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia has expressed concern over rising cases of cholera and commended Blantyre Water Board (BWB) for suspending settlement of water arrears by kiosks to ensure access to safe water.

She made the remarks at Bangwe Health Centre in Blantyre during her tour aimed at checking progress on intervention measures implemented by public health facilities.

She said the ministry understands that the reason behind the widespread cholera is lack of access to safe water.

Said Mia: “BWB have put aside water kiosk bills here in Bangwe until January. We want everyone to have access to clean and potable water.

“Most kiosks had accumulated a lot of water bills, but in the interest of our fight against cholera, this is what we are doing.”

She also promised that those with no access to piped water will be connected by October this year.

Mia said: “We will extradite the process of connecting everyone here. By October, everyone here will have piped water which will be connected free of charge.

“But as a short term solution, starting today, we are bringing water tanks to serve the communities. This will be done until the area is connected with piped water.”

She further said government has intensified surveillance on cholera and other diarrheal diseases through the Epidemiology Unit at the Public Health Institute of Malawi (Phim).

On his part, Deputy Minister of Health Enock Phale said government has embarked on a number of interventions to curb further spread of the disease.

He said: “We are working with all relevant ministries to follow up the sources of this disease. We are distributing free chlorine to households in all districts hit by the disease. But most importantly, we are holding mass sensitisation aimed at preventing the further spread.”

Ministry of Health statistics show that Bangwe Township is the epicentre of the disease in Blantyre with 48 cases, including six deaths.

Village head Nkhukuteni in the township yesterday asked the government to consider speeding up efforts to bring piped water in the area.

“Our main problem here is water. We are relying on wells that people dig but they charge money. But because of poverty, most people are forced to go and draw water from unprotected streams,” he said.

Since the first case of cholera was reported in March in Machinga this year, a total of 2 577 cases have been recorded in 19 districts with 86 deaths, a case fatality rate of 3.3 percent.

So far, Nkhata Bay has reported the most cases of 617 with 17 deaths followed by Blantyre with 546 cases and 22 deaths.

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