The southern African nation of Malawi began a cholera vaccination rollout this week in a bid to stem the threat of the disease that kills tens of thousands of people globally each year. Cholera is avoidable when there is access to clean water and largely treatable with rehydration medication, and there are effective vaccines. Malawi is one of several countries in Africa that face the perennial threat of cholera, and that’s been exacerbated this year by unusually heavy rains and flooding in the southern African region, the kind of weather that often prompts cholera outbreaks. Cholera is an acute diarrhea disease caused by a bacteria typically spread through contaminated food or water. The continent suffered a major setback in its battle against cholera last year when cases surpassed 300,000, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control — the worst toll in 25 years.

Full report : Malawi rolls out cholera vaccines as rains and floods raise the threat of deadly outbreaks.