Malawi has delayed the opening of public schools in the southern African country’s two major cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, according to the health minister, in an effort to slow the spread of cholera.
According to the Health Ministry, the total number of cases and deaths has risen to 17,824 and 595, respectively, since cases were first reported in March, with the mortality rate rising to 3.34 percent.
Cholera is an annual problem in Malawi during the rainy season, from November to March, with an estimated 100 deaths per year. The current outbreak, however, is expected to be the worst yet.
‘Because of the continued increase in cholera cases and deaths in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, primary and secondary schools in the two cities will not open on January 3rd, as previously advised,’ Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said in a statement.
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