According to official numbers, Blantyre district has recorded the highest number of deaths. Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital alone has reported 220 casualties of which 42 adults and 43 children were pronounced dead on arrival.
“We have redirected some of our staff from the regular project for cervical cancer to assist the Doctors Without Borders emergency team at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. We have also suspended outreach activities to protect our staff from any risks linked to flash floods and landslides during movements or building collapsing," says Marion Pechayre, Head of Mission in Malawi.
The threat of a resurgence of cholera remains preoccupying as Malawi recently suffered the biggest outbreak the country has seen in its history after tropical storm Ana hit last year.
“We have moved the cholera treatment centres close by to the hospital to ensure the safety of the patients. The rain hasn’t stopped yet and there is a lot of damage, which really worries us on many levels. Indeed, another rise in cholera cases is one of our concerns in the aftermath of this storm, especially since the vaccine coverage in Blantyre is very poor, but for now it is too early to tell," says Guilherme Botelho, Doctors Without Borders Emergency Project Coordinator in Blantyre.
Doctors Without Borders emergency teams will continue to assess the situation and needs of the population and health facilities in the most affected southern districts in the coming days to provide support including treatment and access to clean water and sanitation.
