Government’s negligence contributes Cholera outbreak and deaths – CAMA

The Consumers Association of Malawi has attributed the current Cholera outbreaks and high deaths in Malawi to the government’s negligence.

As of Thursday, 22 December 2022, the outbreak has already claimed 418 lives of people and 11 of those have been recorded in the past 24 hours.

In a statement signed the executive director John Kapito of the Association said the government failed to maintain and provide adequate sanitation and quality public health care in most parts of the country.

Kapito said the government is aware of the poor quality of health care and hygiene within the communities and markets which also makes the condition of markets to be worst unhygienic places with indigent sanitation where sewer spewing is the source of water in most markets and public places but they are pretending to be in shock with the many deaths by Cholera as if they are not part of the problem.

“Over time they have failed to provide basic amenities to prevent these outbreaks and most of the markets and other public places do not have any public toilets and there is no provision of running piped water and the very same authorities have allowed the sale of unclean water from sources such as pit latrines and various unreliable sources including the sale of perishables in the markets that are washed by water mixed with sewer.

“Ministries of Health, Sanitation, and the City Councils abandoned their responsibilities and mandates to protect people. The City Councils and the Ministry of Health must realize that allowing the uncontrolled influx of unhealthy and unhygienic products such as fresh food and other perishables from unregulated and every corner of the streets is a source of the many disease outbreaks that are affecting the lives of innocent people. The Ministries of Health, Sanitation, and the City Councils have made our markets and other public places become major sources of dangerous disease outbreaks such as Cholera and they must be held responsible for the high Cholera deaths,” reads part of the statement.

Meanwhile, Cama has appealed to the Ministries of Health, Sanitation, and the local Councils to ban any sale of perishables such as fruits (mangoes, etc.) vegetables, fresh, maize, and others from any unregulated places and to stop the spewing of sewage in most markets.

CAMA has called on the government to take immediate action to ensure that further deaths are prevented through the supply of safe water, good sanitation, and food safety controls are adequately provided in all markets.

The Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) is calling on the Government to take immediate action to ensure that further deaths are prevented through the supply of safe water, good sanitation, and food safety controls are adequately provided in all markets.

CAMA has also appealed to the Government to immediately do the following; All goods and services offered in the markets should be verified by the City Public Health inspection teams and Ministry of health to ensure that they are safe for human consumption, All markets to be provided with adequate public toilet facilities, piped running water with proper and safe structures for product display, The Ministry of Health and Sanitation to coordinate with City Councils to ensure that sewer pipes and sewer leakages works are rehabilitated, Strengthen disease surveillance, monitor water quality and chlorinate public water supplies, and promote health education and hygiene among those affected and at-risk communities and The authorities must invest in proper sanitation and health infrastructure and ensure universal access to health care.