The president of Malawi has called for more studies into the link between cholera and climate change after the country was hit by record deaths.
President Lazarus Chakwera told the BBC he did not doubt the link but wanted to be led by more research.
About 1,000 people are reported to have died in the current outbreak.
Mr Chakwera said there had been an unprecedented level of water-borne diseases since devastating floods last year which affected much of southern Malawi:
Quote Message: We’ve never really had this type of outbreak in over 20 years, and even then, it wasn’t at this scale.
We’ve never really had this type of outbreak in over 20 years, and even then, it wasn’t at this scale.
Quote Message: But with all the flooding that took place last year, with water levels rising and with sanitation issues across the country that are dependent on pit latrines for example…
But with all the flooding that took place last year, with water levels rising and with sanitation issues across the country that are dependent on pit latrines for example…
Quote Message: And all of that being washed into streams and even where you have water pumps – because of those [water] levels, all of a sudden you saw outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in a way that you’ve never seen before.
And all of that being washed into streams and even where you have water pumps – because of those [water] levels, all of a sudden you saw outbreaks of water-borne diseases like cholera in a way that you’ve never seen before.
Quote Message: So I would not doubt that all of this could be backed by more research.”
So I would not doubt that all of this could be backed by more research.”