BLANTYRE, Malawi — The southern African nation of Malawi began a cholera vaccination rollout this week in a bid to stem the threat of the disease that kills tens of thousands of people globally each year.
Cholera is avoidable when there is access to clean water and largely treatable with rehydration medication, and there are effective vaccines.
Malawi is one of several countries in Africa that face the perennial threat of cholera, and that's been exacerbated this year by unusually heavy rains and flooding in the southern African region, the kind of weather that often prompts cholera outbreaks.
Cholera is an acute diarrhea disease caused by a bacteria typically spread through contaminated food or water.
The continent suffered a major setback in its battle against cholera last year when cases surpassed 300,000, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control — the worst toll in 25 years.
One of the areas targeted by Malawian health officials for the three-day rollout that ended on Friday was the densely populated Chilomoni township in the commercial capital, Blantyre. At least 17 people have been diagnosed with cholera in the city in recent weeks, with one death reported, and authorities warned of ''a steady rise'' in cases nationally.
Dr. Gift Kawalazira, director of health and social services at the Blantyre District Health Office, said Thursday that officials had identified unsafe water sources as the likely reason for the cholera cases reported in Chilomoni — underlining how the disease especially impacts impoverished communities with restricted access to clean water.
Residents often pay about 5 U.S. cents for a 20‑liter bucket (around 5 gallons) of clean water from private taps in Chilomoni. But when they can't afford that fee, some turn to the nearby Muluda stream, a waterway contaminated with human and animal waste, for drinking, cooking and washing.
