As the cholera scourge continues to claim lives of productive Malawians, Save the Children International - a child rights-based organization - on Wednesday donated medical drugs and supplies to the Malawi Government to enable the government contain the diarrheal disease.

The donation, valued at US$55, 000 (over K55 million), included ringers lactates, Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), doxycyline capsules, normal saline, chlorine and others.

Speaking during the handover at the offices of the Ministry of Health in Lilongwe, Save the Children Country Director Ashebir Debebe said the organization is alarmed by the number of children highly affected by the outbreak.

"It is obvious that any outbreak would not spare children and cholera outbreak is already affecting the children in the country. This is what made us fail to remain silent looking at the lives and survival of the children being compromised.

"It comes from our mandate as an organization, committing ourselves to respond to the needs, survival and development of Malawian children. Thus why we are giving these essential drugs and supplies to ensure quality case management and prevent deaths caused by cholera," he said.

Apart from drugs and supplies, the organization has been working in five districts of Mzimba, Nkhotakota, Nsanje, Zomba and Mwanza with a comprehensive package of case management and capacity building, monitoring and supervision and water and sanitation.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Charles Mwansambo,

commended Save the Children for the donation, describing it as timely and that it will help reduce the fatality of cholera.

Mwansambo said the ministry is overstretched having come from the outbreaks of polio outbreak plus the storm and cyclone.

"Our capacity to fully respond to the outbreak in such a challenging moment has been compromised. We are thankful to Save the Children for supporting the cholera response since March when we announced the outbreak. Save the Children support has made a huge difference in the response," he said.

About nine children have died from cholera since the onset of the outbreak last year in February and an accumulative deaths of 800 and 23, 217 cases.