Health authorities in Malawi confront a perilous health duo: escalating cholera with three deaths and 50+ cases since October 2025, plus a confirmed polio case in Blantyre. The city’s streets, vital to commerce, host 30 cholera infections and two fatalities, prompting Minister Madalitsso Baloyi’s urgent pleas in a recent administrative huddle.
Polio’s resurgence hits hard – type-2 virus found in a seven-year-old denied vaccines by family convictions. Samples verified in South Africa confirm the threat. Blantyre Director Gift Kwalazira blames subpar sanitation for enabling both outbreaks, calling for systemic overhauls.
Government teams, backed by WHO and UNICEF, deploy vaccination blitzes and awareness drives. December’s funding call for cholera control sought over $3 million toward a $3.37 million goal; current collections stand at a meager $357,000.
Five districts including Lilongwe log 11 cholera confirmations. Cross-border vigilance ramps up with Mozambique’s adjacent regions via collaborative case hunts. Activation of the National Public Health Emergency Operations Center and formation of an Incident Management Team signal all-out mobilization.
These outbreaks expose longstanding frailties in Malawi’s public health framework. With children at highest risk, decisive funding and behavioral shifts are critical to stemming the tide and safeguarding the nation’s future health.