Malawi has registered a Polio or Poliomyelitis case from one of the Districts in the country for the first time in 30- years.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed through a statement signed by the responsible Minister, Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP.

Though the Statement didn’t disclose the district, but an inside source told us that the case has been registered in Lilongwe as President Lazarus Chakwera, has directed the Minister of Health to declare a National Health Emergency following the confirmation of the case.

“I know that this is the last thing any of us would want for our country, we were hit by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth three years ago, hit by Covid-19 two years in a row after that, hit by Tropical Storm ANA in the first month of this year, are bracing for Tropical Storm DUMAKO to make landfall and now a case of polio has hit us from foreign soil,” President Chakwera wrote.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health, Polio is a disabling and life threatening disease and can be passed from one person to another through ingestion of food or water which is contaminated with polio virus.

“The high risk group are those that are unvaccinated or those that have recieved fewer doses of polio vaccines,” Kandodo said through the statement.

The Ministry therefore said with support from partners has put in place strategies for elimination of Polio in the country and such strategies are in line with Strategies recommended by the World Health Organisation ( WHO) through the Global Polio End Game Strategy.

Laboratory results has shown that the case is an imported virus as there is no evidence of Community circulation of the virus.

“The Ministry would like to assure the nation that the situation is under control and would like to encourage the general public to continue observing good personal hygiene practice as we know that the virus spread through ingestion of contaminated food or water,” She added.