Just like many parts of Malawi, Malaria has been a common illness in communities around Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwambo in Zomba district particularly in the rainy season when health facilities recorded hundreds of malaria cases particularly among children under five. Additionally, due to issues of climate change, the rainy seasons are also being characterized by floods which heighten cases of cholera outbreaks.
Today, the story is remarkably different in the area of T/A Mwambo in Zomba.
Thanks to the Foundation S-funded project aimed at making communities resilient to climate-induced health challenges, the situation has been greatly improving. The area has now registered a significant decline in malaria cases while remaining free from cholera outbreaks for the past two years despite repeated flooding.
Official records from the area’s health authorities indicate that malaria cases among under-five children significantly dropped from 125 cases in the rainy season of 2025 to just 30 during a similar period in 2026. On the other hand, the data also shows that malaria cases among people aged over five years, also declined from 966 to 234 over the same period.
Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) for the area attributed the registered successes to the intensified health awareness efforts that led to improved health practices among people in the area.
“We have now noted that families are consistently sleeping under treated mosquito nets and adopting good hygiene practices. As such, the adoption of these positive ways of living have greatly reduced malaria cases and halted cholera outbreaks, even during floods,” the HSA said.
