Blantyre Urban, Malawi

This practice results in communicable diseases, especially diarrhoea. Cholera is prevalent in the area, spread through food or water contaminated by faecal material. This year, the outbreak surfaced in January 2002. Between then and early March, the three government clinics in the area recorded over 1000 cholera cases and five deaths. One of those who died was a client in a Blantyre Urban ADP small business development scheme.

World Vision staff across Malawi have been conducting health awareness meetings and distributing anti-cholera chloride of lime at water points, and supplying drugs to health centres and residents. Blantyre Urban ADP suspended some of its planned activities in order to purchase drugs and supplies worth K300,000 (NZ$9232). It has also begun weekly health education in all schools within the project area.

There are concerns that, as the rains are expected to last until the end of April, the cholera outbreak will continue for some time. The situation has been aggravated by a critical nationwide food shortage. Spurred by hunger, people are eating anything they come across without practising good hygiene habits. Weakened, malnourished bodies are more vulnerable to disease so if they get cholera, death comes fast.