Malawi bans sale of food in primary, secondary schools as cholera death toll hits 117
October 10, 2022, 9:11 am

Malawi bans sale of food in primary, secondary schools as cholera death toll hits 117

Malawi bans sale of food in primary and secondary as cholera outbreak - Photo. Pixabay

Malawi has banned sale of food in primary and secondary schools ahead of the new school year, which starts Monday, as cholera outbreak continues with 117 cumulative deaths recorded as of Sunday (Oct 9), the Xinhua reported.

Requesting parents to pack homemade food for students, the education ministry "is directing that selling of food in primary and secondary schools is banned with immediate effect until further notice," said a statement signed by Secretary for Education Chikondano Mussa.

Universities and colleges are advised to ensure that food vendors and suppliers are oriented and adhere to the standard operating procedures issued by the ministry to all learning institutions.

Cholera has been spreading sporadically across the country since the first cases were recorded in the south-eastern border district of Machinga in March.

Cholera outbreak in Nigeria-Photo. Facebook

As of Sunday, 23 districts have reported cases with 17 districts coming on board in the past 14 days, bringing the caseload and death toll to 4,223 and 117 respectively.

WHO: Cholera outbreaks surging worldwide, fatality rates rising

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

Among people who develop symptoms, the majority have mild or moderate symptoms, while a minority develop acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. This can lead to death if left untreated.

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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.
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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.”
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