Health officials in Blantyre have embarked on an offensive mission of curbing further spread of cholera outbreak in the aftermath of the devastating impact of cylcone freddy which hit hard the country early last month.

Health Promotion Officer for Blantyre District Health Office, Chrissy Banda disclosed this on Wednesday during the Media Engagement Workshop on Prevention and Control of Cholera Agenda in Blantyre.

Banda says as of now 214 people have died from the disease in Blantyre city having registered 8338 cumulative cases.

She further highlighted challenges such as inadequate water supply, poor food hygiene, low risk perception and use of untreated water as some of the issues fueling the spread of cholera among the Blantyre residents.

On her part, a senior official at World Health Organization (WHO), Nadine Beckmann, who was a key facilitator during the workshop, equipped journalists with information.

Beckmann stressed that the media has a pivotal role in combating misinformation and deformation on cholera, which is frustrating efforts of combating the disease in Malawi