Malawi has achieved 80 percent progress in providing water supply to schools to support menstrual hygiene, Nyasa Times reports. Speaking at a panel discussion in Lilongwe to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day, Mathews Kalaya, Deputy Director for Sanitation in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, noted the progress while acknowledging persistent infrastructure gaps. Kalaya stated that while water access has improved, proper menstrual hygiene requires adequate toilets and change rooms, which are currently available in less than 50 percent of Malawian schools.
Update: National disease surveillance teams continue to track multiple active outbreaks across the country, releasing new data on cholera, Mpox, and Rift Valley Fever. According to the June 1 situation report from the Public Health Institute of Malawi, the ongoing cholera outbreak has reached 752 confirmed and epidemiologically linked cases and five deaths, with 20 patients currently admitted in districts such as Chikwawa and Thyolo. Concurrently, the institute reports that the country's Mpox count stands at 158 lab-confirmed infections. The newest Mpox case involves a one-month-old infant in Mangochi District, prompting health officials to activate contact tracing protocols. Furthermore, the Rift Valley Fever outbreak impacting Chiradzulu and Mulanje has heavily impacted livestock, resulting in 29 animal fatalities and 287 currently sick cattle and goats, with zero human cases reported to date.