A West Lothian church leader has urged others in the area to donate what they can towards an urgent aid effort to combat the worst-ever outbreak of cholera in an African country with strong Scottish links.
Dr Frank Stewart, an elder at Boghall Parish Church in Bathgate, has made a donation to a campaign fronted by EMMS International, Scotland’s international healthcare charity, to tackle at source the worst cholera outbreak on record in Malawi. With over 30,000 confirmed cases and 24 people from one village dying in just one day, the surge in cases has prompted a call for urgent containment measures.
Malawi is currently experiencing its most deadly outbreak of cholera. Since its outbreak in March 2022, the disease has spread to all 29 districts with over 1300 reported deaths and 40,000 cases. EMMS International, founded in Edinburgh in 1841, has launched an appeal to reach a target of £160,000 to help improve water sanitation and medical care.
