Malawi to roll out cholera vaccine after recording 12 deaths
May 21, 2022, 7:12 pm

Malawi to roll out cholera vaccine after recording 12 deaths

People of Malawi in Africa (File photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, the Malawi government will roll out the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) on Monday (May 23) in 8 targeted districts as the death toll reached 12 with over 300 cases recorded since the disease broke out in early March.

It said that the country's ministry of health announced Saturday (May 21) in its cholera situation update, saying the country has cumulatively recorded 308, including 12 deaths, and that 8 cases were currently admitted.

According to the update, the border district of Nsanje, down south, has recorded the highest case rate of 128 with 8 deaths followed by the commercial city of Blantyre which has recorded 92 cases with 2 deaths.

The update reads that "There will be oral cholera vaccination (OCV) administration in the 8 targeted districts starting from 23rd May to 27th May 2022. It listed the 8 districts including border districts of Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, Mulanje, Machinga and Mangochi.

WHO: Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.

Meanwhile, the Malawi government, through the ministry of health, is conducting health education on safe water for domestic use and personal hygiene, among others, in the affected areas.

The Malawi government has since called upon all stakeholders in the affected and targeted areas to coordinate their efforts to keep the outbreak in check.

Cholera outbreak kills 100 people in Niger state since April

The update reads: "There is an urgent need to improve access to safe water and coverage on sanitation; risk communication and community engagement should be ongoing; and inter-district and cross border coordination and collaboration is very crucial in the prevention and containment of this cholera outbreak."

It said that "Oral cholera vaccine, wherever possible, should be administered to supplement the core cholera prevention and control intervention."

Malawi detects first case of wild poliovirus in Africa in more than five years

The report noted that the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in Malawi on March 3 after a case was confirmed in one of the country's laboratories in the Machinga district.

Source: xinhua

Thousands protest Turkish opposition politician’s conviction for insulting Erdogan Four killed as Jordanian army thwarts drug smuggling attempt from Syria

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”