Malawi: USAID Grants Unicef U.S.$2.5m to Scale Up Cholera Response in Malawi


The Government of the United States of America, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided US$ 2.1 million (approximately MKW 2.18 billion) and committed an additional US$ 400,000 (approximately MKW 415 million) to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to scale up the ongoing cholera outbreak response in Malawi.

According to a press release made available to Nyasa Times, the grant will enable UNICEF to carry out interventions in heavily impacted districts in Malawi and help prevent cholera transmission in districts affected by flooding from Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

UNICEF will work in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Water and Sanitation to reach at least 300,000 people, including approximately 127,000 children, by providing lifesaving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in schools and in surrounding communities.

“In most affected communities, cholera originates from unsafe water and inadequate sanitation.

“Consequently, improving access to better and climate-resilient water supply systems in communities and healthcare facilities is crucial to saving lives, enhancing people’s well-being, and reducing the burden of WASH-related diseases on Malawi’s health system”.

The press release further says the funding from the U.S. government, which is the largest donor to UNICEF, will enable the UN agency to plan to rehabilitate and upgrade water schemes and sanitation facilities in health facilities and schools, supply essential cholera prevention materials, and engage communities with cholera prevention messages.