The World Health Organization (WHO) has activated its Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) network in Malawi to support the country’s fight against a cholera outbreak.

The two EMTs will be in the southeastern African country for six weeks, and in that period will manage patients in the cholera treatment centers, provide essential medicines and supplies, and train local colleagues.

A third international emergency medical team, Samaritan’s Purse, is also expected to arrive in the coming days.

Malawi has been battling the cholera outbreak for months now, with reports that the outbreak has spread to nearly all of the country’s 28 districts.

More than 1,000 people have died from the disease since March 2022.

“The cholera outbreak presents a clear challenge to the country’s healthcare system,” said Dr. Charles Mwansambo, Secretary for Health in the Ministry of Health.

“The additional support that EMT teams are bringing will help us to improve and provide quality of care that meet the minimum standards,” he added.

Kate Jarman, Save the Children EMT Team lead, said the outbreak was unacceptable and called for heightened efforts to boot the disease from the country.

“This deployment builds on our existing cholera response efforts. We all need to redouble our efforts and stop the outbreak,” she said.