Authorities in Malawi have suspended primary and secondary schools in two major cities following a cholera outbreak that has so far killed 595 people.
Schools in the capital, Lilongwe, and the commercial centre, Blantyre, will remain closed for at least two weeks after the Christmas holidays.
The cholera outbreak started in March 2022 but has become acute recently.
Nineteen people died on New Year’s Eve alone.
Cholera is transmitted by eating food or drinking water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria. It can affect children and adults, causing severe diarrhea, and can kill within hours if left untreated.
Health authorities say the onset of the rainy season could make the situation worse as floodwaters mix with contaminated water sources. A lack of proper drainage in both cities is also a factor.
The outbreak has spread to almost all of Malawi’s 28 districts.
The African Center for Disease Control said it was concerned about the rise in cholera deaths in Malawi, which was caused by patients not receiving timely treatment.
Monday’s announcement has angered some parents who said their children were already at school, which will reopen on Tuesday.
Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said the government regretted the inconvenience and that “the late advice was given only in the interest of the students’ safety”.
He said the reopening of the school would be delayed for at least two weeks, but further advice would be given.
Source: BBC
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