1999 - Plague in Malawi

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1. Summary

A plague outbreak case that occurred in Malawi in 1999 is recorded in the WHO database, but the actual supply-chain risk level at the current time is low. This event is classified as a past occurrence case and is utilized as reference information regarding the health situation in the Malawi region.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Agriculture sector: Malawi is a major tobacco producer and exporter of agricultural products such as tea, sugar, and cotton, requiring review of the impact that past disease outbreak history had on agricultural labor force and productivity
• Mineral resources: Potential for indirect impact on uranium mining operations and other mineral extraction activities in Malawi
• Regional logistics: Concerns about limited impact on Malawi's logistics hub function as a landlocked country in southeastern Africa
• Humanitarian supply chain: Potential for increased demand on international relief supplies and medical supply chains

3. Watch points

• Verify the current status of disease surveillance systems by Malawi's Ministry of Health and WHO, and latest health risk assessment results
• Monitor similar disease outbreak trends within the southeastern Africa region and potential for cross-border spread