Amref Malawi donates K40 million medical supplies to step up cholera outbreak response

Amref Health Africa in Malawi has donated cholera kits and medical supplies worth $40,000 (K40 million) to the Ministry of Health in Malawi to step up its cholera outbreak response. Country Manager for Amref Malawi, Hester Nyasulu made the official handover of the supplies at Lilongwe District Health Office which has benefited from this donation. This donation has been made possible with financial support from Bread for the World of Germany.

So far, Amref has donated supplies of over $400,000 towards the cholera response in Malawi since September 2022 with support from various donors.

‘The medical supplies we are handing over today are in response to the call that the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health has made requesting individuals, institutions and donors to provide more resources to ensure that the current cholera outbreak is contained in the country.’

‘You may wish to know that as Amref, we already made some donations towards the same cholera fight in September last year but because the situation has escalated that’s why we have identified additional resources to support the management of the outbreak. And we are thankful to the Bread for the World of Germany through Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) project for providing the funding that has enabled us to purchase these medical supplies which we believe will help to save lives.’ Explained Hester Nyasulu.

Commenting on the donation, Acting Director of Health and Social Services for Lilongwe, Dr. Thokozani Liwewe said the support from Amref will go a long way in containing and managing the disease in the district.

‘We are grateful to Amref for this timely support. As a district, we have a huge need for such medical supplies which are very essential and critical in managing the outbreak. Since we registered the first case of cholera in May last year it hasn’t been easy. We have seen an exponential rise in the number of cases which means the need for resources is so huge. So this support from Amref will go a long way to save lives.’ Said Dr. Liwewe.

The donated cholera supplies comprise medical supplies such as Chlorine for household water treatment, gloves, hand sanitisers, cotton wool, 20L buckets, intravenous fluids (ringers lactate), giving sets, Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), and cannula needles. These supplies have been distributed to Lilongwe, Mangochi, Machinga, Zomba, Blantyre and Chikwawa districts.

Malawi is facing an upsurge in cholera cases, with all 29 districts of the country affected. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has made fresh calls for more support towards the response as the country is running low on supplies.