Malawi delays reopening schools over cholera

Malawi has delayed the opening of public schools in the southern African country’s two major cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, the health minister said on Monday, to try to slow down a surge in cholera deaths.

The total number of cases and deaths has accelerated to 17,824 and 595 respectively since cases were first reported in March, with the mortality rate increasing to 3.34 per cent, according to the Health Ministry. Cholera is an annual problem during Malawi’s rainy months from November to March, where the number of deaths is around 100 a year. But the current outbreak is expcted to be the worst yet.