Malawi runs out of cholera vaccine amid outbreak spike-Xinhua

Malawi runs out of cholera vaccine amid outbreak spike

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2023-01-20 22:13:30

Environmental officers disinfect themselves after disinfecting a body at Bwaila hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, Jan. 17, 2023. As of Thursday, Malawi has recorded 27,501 confirmed cholera cases and 899 deaths since the disease broke out in March 2022. (Photo by Roy Nkosi/Xinhua)

BLANTYRE, Malawi, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Malawi has run out of cholera vaccine amid a rise in confirmed cases of the outbreak, the country's Health Ministry disclosed on Thursday.

Ministry of Health spokesperson, Adrian Chikumbe, confirmed this to the local media, saying he has since asked Malawians to adhere to the strict preventive measures for the disease as outlined by the government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and cholera.

Chikumbe said the ministry is currently engaging the World Health Organization (WHO) for more support, adding that there is no immediate indication that the vaccines will come in anytime soon.

"I can confirm that we have depleted all the cholera vaccine doses that we had. We are now in talks with WHO for another consignment, but looking at the fact that there is only one manufacturer of the vaccine globally, and that we are competing for the same, there is no guarantee that we may get another consignment in a few days," he said.

In November 2022, the WHO through the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision facilitated the procurement of 2.9 million vaccines for the Malawi government with funds from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi).

As of Thursday, Malawi has recorded 27,501 confirmed cholera cases and 899 deaths since the disease broke out in March 2022.