Cholera already killed nearly 200 people in Malawi

The number of deaths from cholera in Malawi rose to 183 at the end of October from 110 at the beginning of the month, the health ministry announced on Monday.

“The rate of infections has been rising, with the cumulative number of cases since the outbreak began in March now at 6,056,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry attributed the deaths to poor food hygiene among the communities, lack of safe water, a lack of and improper use of toilets and the fact that some patients were not seeking treatment for religious reasons.

Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda appealed to religious institutions to encourage their members to seek proper health services to avoid “unnecessary” loss of lives.