Weekly IDSR Bulletin
Epidemiological Week 27 (29 June – 5 July, 2026)
Editorial Team
I. Performance & Surveillance
Reporting Completeness & Timeliness Analysis
The national reporting performance for Epidemiological Week 27 has registered a stable completeness rate of 95.0% (remaining unchanged from Week 26). However, reporting timeliness on the One Health Surveillance Platform (OHSP) experienced a sharp drop, sliding from 93.0% in Week 26 down to 80.0% in Week 27. This sudden slide highlights mounting subnational administrative friction and clinical platform entry bottlenecks, reducing the timeliness of integrated alert tracking across the territory.
At the subnational level, completeness remains high. All health zones and Central Hospitals successfully met the minimum target of 80% completeness (Central East, Central West, South West, and Central Hospitals all achieved 100.0%, while North achieved 92.2% and South East achieved 98.2%). However, timeliness parameters revealed severe regressions: Central Hospitals reached only 50.0% timeliness, and the South East Zone registered only 70.2% timeliness, both failing to meet the national minimum threshold of 80%.
At the district reporting level, out of the 33 designated national reporting sites, 24 (73%) successfully achieved the target of 80% or greater on both surveillance metrics. Key sites failing specific thresholds have changed in Week 27. Districts including Nkhotakota, Machinga, Nsanje, Zomba, Mzuzu Central Hospital, and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital failed to surpass reporting timeliness targets. Additionally, Likoma (100.0% completeness, 33.0% timeliness), Balaka (100.0% completeness, 48.0% timeliness), and Rumphi (94.0% completeness, 50.0% timeliness) failed to meet the minimum target for both completeness and timeliness metrics.
To reverse this operational lag and preserve optimal platform sensitivity, the National IDSR Secretariat directs immediate remedial measures. IDSR coordinators and Zonal Epidemiology Officers must ensure timely verification and validation of clinical data immediately after facility focal points submit weekly forms. District Health Officers in underperforming zones, particularly Likoma, Balaka, Rumphi, Nkhotakota, Machinga, Nsanje, Zomba, Mzuzu CH, and QECH, must implement administrative audits to eliminate data entry delays and platform entry bottlenecks.
II. Disease Morbidity
Malaria Morbidity & Mortality
Malaria continues to stand as the dominant clinical and priority condition under active surveillance in Malawi, with Epidemiological Week 27 recording a national burden of Confirmed cases totaling 18,603 (including OPD and IPD cases) alongside 1 associated inpatient death. High-burden districts represent key transmission hotspots requiring continuous vector control monitoring, particularly Chikwawa DHO (1,880 cases), Mangochi DHO (1,843 cases), Blantyre DHO (1,497 cases), and Lilongwe DHO (1,109 cases).
When contrasted with the preceding baseline in Epidemiological Week 26, the malaria data reveals an encouraging decrease of 8.67% in weekly cases (dropping from 20,369 down to 18,603 cases). Most significantly, confirmed inpatient deaths declined from 5 in Week 26 to 1 in Week 27, suggesting stable therapeutic timing and rapid response by clinical case management teams across central facilities during this cycle.
To sustain this downward transmission trend and prevent fatal outcomes, we recommend that the National Malaria Control Program continues to coordinate antimalarial supply chain audits to ensure uninterrupted stocks of ACTs and RDTs. Clinical supervisors should conduct a rigorous mortality audit on the single recorded death to ensure therapeutic timing protocols were met. Concurrently, Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) must continue scale up community awareness campaigns emphasizing early care-seeking behaviors for febrile illnesses.
Enteric Diseases (Typhoid & Diarrhoea)
The surveillance of waterborne enteric pathogens in Epidemiological Week 27 has flagged persistent transmission risks. Waterborne enteric diseases remain highly prevalent, with Diarrhoea with blood (Bloody Diarrhoea) cases recorded at 663 and Typhoid fever cases recorded at 42 (OPD and IPD Typhoid cases). Waterborne disease transmission remains a persistent threat, demanding a rapid transition from passive clinical tracking to active environmental health interventions.
When compared to the baseline figures from Epidemiological Week 26, the enteric profile shows a mixed trajectory. Typhoid fever cases decreased by 10.6%, declining from 47 cases in Week 26 down to 42 cases in Week 27. Conversely, Bloody Diarrhoea cases rose slightly, moving from 629 cases to 663 cases. Geographically, a notable concentration of Typhoid cases remains localized within Mchinji DHO (25 cases) and Lilongwe DHO (9 cases), representing the primary share of the national enteric load in Week 27.
Based on these findings, we recommend that Blantyre and Mchinji DHOs implement targeted interventions against Typhoid being reported in the districts. Stool and blood cultures must be collected from suspected cases to monitor potential antimicrobial resistance patterns and guide precise therapy. Concurrently, environmental health officers must implement localized water treatment protocols, distribute chlorine solutions, and conduct hygiene sanitization campaigns to break enteric transmission chains.
III. Critical Alerts & Mortality
Cholera and Mpox Status
Epidemiological Week 27 recorded zero (0) new suspected cholera cases, zero (0) new confirmed cases, and zero (0) deaths, reflecting strong containment. On the zoonotic disease front, Mpox surveillance detected zero (0) new confirmed cases and two (2) alerts. This keeps the cumulative national total stable at 158 confirmed cases and 4 cross-border cases since the outbreak began in April 2025. Lilongwe district represents 75.8% (119 cases) of the national load with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.63% (1 death on 10 August 2025).
A comparison with Epidemiological Week 26 shows that Cholera suspected cases dropped from 1 in Week 26 to 0 in Week 27. Since the season started on 1 November 2025, Malawi has recorded a cumulative total of 3,009 cholera cases, including 319 laboratory-confirmed cases and 460 epidemiologically linked cases, alongside 5 deaths (CFR 0.65%). Geographically, 26 of Malawi’s 29 districts have reported at least one suspected case. Meanwhile, Mpox transmission remained completely silent, matching the zero confirmed case baseline from the previous week.
To maintain this Cholera downward trend, the National Incident Management System must continue to direct emergency water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources to high-incidence hotspots. Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaigns in selected hotspot districts have achieved a total of 612,477 doses administered (101.3% coverage). For Mpox, District Rapid Response Teams (DRRTs) must remain alert, enforcing active cross-border screening and coordinating with Mozambique and Tanzania to ensure immediate detection of any imported cases.
SARI & Respiratory Mortality
Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) presented 82 clinical cases and zero (0) inpatient deaths during Epidemiological Week 27. The severe respiratory burden continues to affect central districts, with Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) reporting 40 SARI cases (48.8% of the national load). Other districts with active respiratory caseloads include Nkhotakota DHO (7 cases), Neno DHO (7 cases), and Dowa DHO (6 cases). This concentration highlights the need for continuous sentinel respiratory surveillance and clinical preparedness in tertiary facilities.
When evaluated against the preceding baseline in Epidemiological Week 26, the SARI surveillance data displays a slight upward shift in morbidity but positive progress in clinical mortality. National SARI cases rose from 71 cases in Week 26 to 82 cases in Week 27. Concurrently, SARI-associated deaths fell from 1 down to 0. This lack of clinical mortality is encouraging, yet clinical teams must remain highly vigilant to identify and respond to seasonal respiratory pathogens, such as Influenza A/B or RSV.
We recommend that clinical teams at Kamuzu Central Hospital and other sentinel hospitals continue to systematically collect nasopharyngeal swabs from SARI patients for PCR diagnostic analysis. Healthcare facilities must ensure that pediatric oxygen delivery systems, clinical nebulizers, and essential respiratory therapeutics remain fully functional. Furthermore, clinicians must continue to document and report SARI cases on the OHSP, allowing public health teams to identify and respond to any new respiratory anomalies quickly.
IV. Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Measles & VPD Surveillance Distribution
Vaccine-Preventable Disease (VPD) surveillance remains a high-priority public health activity. In Week 27, Malawi reported 73 new suspected measles alerts, bringing the cumulative alerts to 1,690 with 695 confirmed measles-rubella cases in 2026. Cumulative laboratory-confirmed cases are distributed across 24 districts, with Balaka reporting the highest proportion at 20.9% (80 cases) and Nsanje at 17.8% (68 cases). Under the IDSR framework, Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance recorded 0 cases, and Meningococcal meningitis recorded 12 cases (with 0 deaths), highlighting the need for active case searching.
When compared to Epidemiological Week 26, weekly Measles alerts rose slightly, moving from 69 cases to 73 cases. AFP alerts fell from 5 cases in Week 26 to 0 cases in Week 27. Conversely, suspected Meningococcal meningitis cases rose slightly, moving from 9 cases in Week 26 up to 12 cases in Week 27, requiring immediate laboratory verification. Polio outbreak containment remains a high priority following the confirmation of 16 environmental sewage isolates since January 2026, with Round 3 of the nOPV2 campaign completed, achieving 105% coverage.
We recommend that the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) continues targeting high-burden districts, particularly Balaka, Nsanje, and Chikwawa, with supplemental vaccination and outreach, while Dedza and Machinga districts require close monitoring. For vaccine safety parameters, district surveillance networks must coordinate with national labs. To prevent poliovirus spread, active community-level surveillance must be prioritized alongside preparations for subsequent vaccination campaigns, and the measles situation in Balaka district must receive focused attention.
V. Summary of Recommendations
1. Reporting Quality & District Targets
Rumphi, Balaka, and Likoma DHOs must implement immediate data validation procedures to improve completeness and timeliness back to target levels of greater than or equal to 80%, while Nkhotakota, Machinga, Nsanje, Zomba, Mzuzu Central Hospital, and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital must focus specifically on timeliness.
2. Enteric & Outbreak Targeted Interventions
Blantyre and Mchinji DHOs are directed to implement targeted interventions against Typhoid fever being reported in the districts, while Balaka, Chikwawa, and Nsanje districts must receive focused attention regarding their measles situation. Nkhata-bay DHO should investigate community-reported signals.
3. AEFI Safety Investigation
Mzimba-North district is directed to perform a detailed vaccine safety investigation on the 35 reported Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) out of 64 nationally to maintain high community trust in routine childhood immunizations.