As a general practitioner for over a decade, Dr Gift Sten Chinomba has treated many cholera patients. Yet, until earlier this year, when Malawi experienced its worst-ever cholera outbreak, he had never set foot in a cholera treatment centre like the one the World Health Organization established at Bakala district hospital, in Southern Malawi.

“When WHO communicated that they were looking for doctors to work in the [treatment centres], I felt it was the best way I could contribute to the country’s response,” he says. As of early June, there have been almost 59 000 cases and 1761 deaths due to cholera.

When Chinomba was posted to one of the most cholera-affected districts, he kissed his two children goodbye and joined the other 440 health workers that WHO helped deploy to hospitals and emergency treatment centres. “For three months, we will go where cases are to help save lives,” he says.

With WHO and partners’ support, health authorities in Malawi managed to decrease the number of new cholera cases from over 600 a day in January to only a few per week in June and brought the fatality rate close to 1%, the maximum acceptable threshold.

With many thanks to Chinomba for sharing his story.