We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/ScriptMALAWI CHOLERA
HEADLINE: Cholera Cases Rising in Malawi After Health Emergency Declaration Lifted
TEASER: Health rights activists are attributing the rise in cases to the reluctance of members of the public to follow cholera control measures
PUBLISHED AT:
BYLINE: Chimwemwe Padatha
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: LILONGWE, MALAWI
VIDEOGRAPHER: Chimwemwe Padatha
VIDEO EDITOR:
ASSIGNING EDITOR: Betty Ayoub
SCRIPT EDITORS: Salem Solomon, KEnochs; DLJ
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO X
TRT: 2:51
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: All SOTs have been introduced so it works for radio. For questions and final review, send it back to Africa Division’s senior editor, Salem Solomon, email: salemsolomon@voanews.com, Africa Division’s executive producer, Betty Ayoub, email: bayoub@voanews.com. Information on regulations: https://africabrief.substack.com/p/national-water-resources-authority-6e8#:~:text=As%20a%20measure%20to%20address,so%20may%20result%20in%20penalties.))
((INTRO))
[[Malawi is seeing a spike in cholera cases. This, just two months after the government lifted a public health emergency declaration that had been in place since early 2022. Chimwemwe Padatha has this story from Lilongwe, Malawi.]]
((NARRATION))
Two months after Malawi’s ministry of health declared cholera no longer a national public health emergency, the country is seeing an upsurge of cholera cases.
Health rights activist George Jobe says a more relaxed attitude to cholera prevention measures is behind the increase.
((George Jobe, Health Rights Activist)) ((Male, In English))
“... after the cases went low and people stopped dying and the ministry of health communicated that cholera is no longer a public health threat at that point, we have seen people relaxing and issues of hand washing with soap have simmered down so that relaxation is indeed very true.”
((NARRATOR))
Access to clean water among Malawians in rural areas remains a challenge, and according to the government a majority of people in remote areas of the country rely on wells or boreholes for their water.
The government is now requiring that all wells and boreholes comply with government safe water regulations by the end of this month.
Masozi Kasambara from Malawi’s National Water Resource Authority (NWRA) says these water sources are often contaminated.
((Masozi Kasambara, National Water Resources Authority)) ((Male, in English))
“Of the 44 boreholes that we sampled, 33 of the same which represents 75 percent of the sampled boreholes had its water biologically contaminated.”
((NARRATOR))
The new regulation is frustrating to people like Gloria Chiwotha from Chimphumbulu village in Lilongwe, who says it is costly and does not give them enough time to comply.
[[Radio track: Chiwotha says they depend on ground water. She says it is not realistic as most houses cannot afford annual subscriptions for the boreholes. Chiwotha says she hopes the government withdraws the ultimatum.]]
((Gloria Chiwotha, Malawi Citizen)) ((Female, n Chichewa))
“We depend on this ground water, this is not realistic as most of houses cannot afford annual subscriptions for the boreholes, we ask the government to withdraw the ultimatum.”
((NARRATOR))
Malawi’s Ministry of Health is planning a new cholera prevention campaign in October to contain further spread of the disease, which is most prevalent in the rainy season, running from November to April.
((Adrian Chikumbe, Ministry of Health Spokesperson)) ((Male, in English))
“We are shortly launching a Tipewe Cholera campaign aimed at preventing a similar situation, apart from that we want to up the game, we are now on the ground sensitizing people on the importance of upholding high levels of hygiene and sanitation, we are also distributing chlorine.”
((NARRATOR))
Since March 2022, cholera has killed over 1,700 people in Malawi.
((Chimwemwe Padatha, VOA News, Lilongwe, Malawi.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
Lilongwe, Malawi
Embargo DateOctober 26, 2023 21:08 EDT
Byline
Chimwemwe Padatha, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
