A West Lothian church leader has urged others in the area to donate what they can towards an urgent aid effort to combat the worst-ever outbreak of cholera in an African country with strong Scottish links.
Dr Frank Stewart, an elder at Boghall Parish Church in Bathgate, has made a donation to a campaign fronted by EMMS International, Scotland’s international healthcare charity, to tackle at source the worst cholera outbreak on record in Malawi. With over 30,000 confirmed cases and 24 people from one village dying in just one day, the surge in cases has prompted a call for urgent containment measures.
Malawi is currently experiencing its most deadly outbreak of cholera. Since its outbreak in March 2022, the disease has spread to all 29 districts with over 1300 reported deaths and 40,000 cases. EMMS International, founded in Edinburgh in 1841, has launched an appeal to reach a target of £160,000 to help improve water sanitation and medical care.
Dr Stewart urged others to donate what they can, saying: “EMMS International is a well-established charity which works closely with local partners in areas of need. Donations help support long-term development and educational projects in conjunction with local people, allowing them to respond to emergency situations such as cholera outbreaks. No man is an island. There is a sense of common humanity which calls for a response to the needs of others.” Boghall Parish Church supports the Mulanje Mission Hospital in MaYlawi alongside EMMS International on a long-term basis.
The charity, based in Edinburgh for over 180 years, has been working globally since 1841 to improve health and healthcare in some of the world’s poorest communities. Its work in Malawi has been vital to the development of healthcare services and infrastructure and its most recent achievements have helped to secure sustainable solutions which tackle the challenges at source through healthcare education, sustainable energy systems and sustainable water and hygiene infrastructure within hospitals and healthcare settings. EMMS International has embarked on a mission to supply a further 14 rural health centres with safe water and sanitation.
Of the 20 rural health centres needs-assessed by EMMS International, eight per cent have no access to water at all, 76 per cent of water is not tested for quality and at 23 per cent of facilities patients cannot access water to wash or drink.
Cathy Ratcliff, CEO and Director of International Programmes said, “It’s terrible news that in this day and age, Malawi is enduring its worst cholera outbreak ever recorded. We appreciate any donations towards this aid effort and are thankful to Dr Stewart and Boghall Parish Church for their support.
“The rainy season in Malawi is adding to the urgency for action by speeding the spread of the disease, displacing people and making it more difficult to access safe healthcare services. With the risk of more heavy rains and flooding, it is essential that we act quickly to stop the spread of this deadly disease in healthcare settings. EMMS International has a long history of working with our partners in Malawi, having introduced palliative care to over 30 health facilities in recent years, including at least one in each of Malawi’s 28 districts, installing solar power in healthcare facilities, helping make our main partner hospital more financially sustainable, and training vulnerable women and girls to be tomorrow’s health professionals.”
EMMS International urgently need to raise £160,000 to install clean running water and sanitation at the remaining 14 rural health centres and to improve the water supply and sanitation at Mulanje Mission Hospital. The lack of clean water is the single biggest reason that cholera kills.
Cholera is a preventable and treatable disease. Malawi’s Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, has appealed to the public to adhere to preventative and containment measures, such as the use of safe water, frequent hand washing with soap and food hygiene. She also calls on the global community to help quickly to control the outbreak and save lives.
To learn more, and to donate, visit emms.org/cholera
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