Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:55:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dickens Wasonga
BY DICKENS WASONGA FREELANCE JOURNALIST-KISUMU.
TEL.+254721784774.
The ministry of health officials in Nyanza province remain on high alert following the out-brake of the deadly cholera in the region.
Confirmed reports from the health officials in the province indicated that by Friday last week, a total of 39 people had died in the wake of the disease out-brake.
The provincial public health officer Nyanza, Mr Tom Andebe said additional 1000 people had been diagnosed with the disease while several others were treated and discharged in various hospitals across the province in the past one week.
Mr.Andebe was however quick to clarify that the situation was under control and that the ministry moved fast to contain further spread of the disease whose out-brake they have blamed on the destruction of water supply systems during the post election fiasco.
The hardest hit districts includes Nyando, Siaya, Suba, Migori and Kisumu where health facilities are reporting new cases each day.
A team of public health officers from the province have since been dispatched to the affected areas.
According to Mr. Andebe the team which is working in collaboration with other organizations like UNICEF in the worst hit districts will remain there until the situation reverts back to normal.
He said the government has embarked on a huge campaign to sensitize communities living in the affected areas to use only water which has been boiled or treated.
He further disclosed that chlorine was being given to the affected families for household water treatment.
Washing of clothes or bathing near water points like rivers, dams, streams and along the lake shore has also been banned.
The health officials also decried the poor latrine coverage in the province which currently is at 36%. It means that for every 100 homes 60 do not have a latrine there-by complicating the issue of hygiene practices even further especially in the villages.
—-
Subject: MINISTRY ON ALERT OVER CHOLERA OUT-BRAKE IN NYANZA