Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Upsurge in Cholera Cases - by Michael Liswaniso
OPUWO ? Kunene Regional Health Director, Linda Nambundunga, says she is worried about the increase in cholera cases in the region.
She said from April last year, cholera was controlled until October when the first cases were reported. Ever since then, the ministry has recorded about 140 cases of acute diarrhoea, of which nine were confirmed as cholera after laboratory tests.
In an interview this week, Nambundunga said so far, seven lives have been lost as a result of cholera. She added that the situation is disturbing because the fatality rate calculated from the entire reported cases and the death toll thus far, represents five percent, a figure way beyond the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard setting, which she said should not exceed one percent.
?Poor sanitation and poor hygiene, especially here in Opuwo, and overcrowding in the squatter settlements are some of the risk factors that cause easy infections,? she said.
She noted that it is indeed worrisome to note that instead of Okangwati in the Epupa constituency, which made cholera headlines last year, reports are now coming from villages such as Ombombo, some 80 kilometres south of Opuwo.
?Cases are now scattered all over with some coming from as far as Ombombo,? she stressed.
Nambundunga pointed out that heavy rains that have been falling of late have worsened the situation, as some residents are fetching contaminated water from earth dams.
?There is a problem of the sewerage system in Opuwo. At times rainwater is mixing with sewage water and pupils are drinking this water. The problem is worsened by poor sanitation in most homes and even in schools,? she noted.
A learner and a staff member at a primary school in town were diagnosed with cholera ? something she attributed to poor sanitation.
?If the sanitation problem in schools is not addressed and things go out of hand, we will be forced to close these schools because it is a health hazard,? she warned, while adding that constraints like these hamper her ministry?s efforts.
She has called upon all partners and stakeholders to address what she termed their ?key businesses? citing that at present, it looks as if her ministry is fighting the epidemic alone.
?We need the Ministry of Works [and Transport], all line ministries, different partners and the town council in order to address this challenge,? she said.
Nambundunga said so far, her ministry is on alert and has strengthened case management on how to treat cholera. In the same vein, it has an active cholera surveillance team that goes as far as visiting the affected cholera homes.
The director added that in efforts to fight the disease head-on, partners such as Red Cross and Medicos del Mundo have actively joined her ministry and a community mobilisation team is in place.
The team is educating residents about cholera and how to prevent the disease. It is also distributing locally produced leaflets with facts about cholera. The leaflets appear in English, Afrikaans and Otjiherero.
Nambundunga also disclosed that her ministry is in the process of establishing a cholera treatment centre on the hospital premises where those with suspected cholera symptoms will be treated timeously instead of spending time in clinics and hospital queues.
?The establishment of the cholera treatment unit is in full swing, we are busy clearing up the land. So far, we have received 10 tents, 10 foldable tables and 25 mattresses from the Namibian Defence Force headquarters,? she said.
Her office has also managed to establish a cholera outbreak response committee while a cholera taskforce via the regional governor?s office is also operational.
Nambundunga is appealing for teamwork and technical support from all stakeholders while in the same vein cautioning residents that cholera kills and thus community members are urged to report suspected cases to nearby health facilities.
?We need to be hygienic in handling food whenever cooking, wash our hands often especially after using the latrine, water from other sources should at least be boiled and our people should by all means avoid nomadic life,? she cautioned.
She also said other neighbouring regions should be on alert especially Omusati and Oshana, which serve as shopping centres for Opuwo residents
http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=2516
OPUWO ? Kunene Regional Health Director, Linda Nambundunga, says she is worried about the increase in cholera cases in the region.
She said from April last year, cholera was controlled until October when the first cases were reported. Ever since then, the ministry has recorded about 140 cases of acute diarrhoea, of which nine were confirmed as cholera after laboratory tests.
In an interview this week, Nambundunga said so far, seven lives have been lost as a result of cholera. She added that the situation is disturbing because the fatality rate calculated from the entire reported cases and the death toll thus far, represents five percent, a figure way beyond the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard setting, which she said should not exceed one percent.
?Poor sanitation and poor hygiene, especially here in Opuwo, and overcrowding in the squatter settlements are some of the risk factors that cause easy infections,? she said.
She noted that it is indeed worrisome to note that instead of Okangwati in the Epupa constituency, which made cholera headlines last year, reports are now coming from villages such as Ombombo, some 80 kilometres south of Opuwo.
?Cases are now scattered all over with some coming from as far as Ombombo,? she stressed.
Nambundunga pointed out that heavy rains that have been falling of late have worsened the situation, as some residents are fetching contaminated water from earth dams.
?There is a problem of the sewerage system in Opuwo. At times rainwater is mixing with sewage water and pupils are drinking this water. The problem is worsened by poor sanitation in most homes and even in schools,? she noted.
A learner and a staff member at a primary school in town were diagnosed with cholera ? something she attributed to poor sanitation.
?If the sanitation problem in schools is not addressed and things go out of hand, we will be forced to close these schools because it is a health hazard,? she warned, while adding that constraints like these hamper her ministry?s efforts.
She has called upon all partners and stakeholders to address what she termed their ?key businesses? citing that at present, it looks as if her ministry is fighting the epidemic alone.
?We need the Ministry of Works [and Transport], all line ministries, different partners and the town council in order to address this challenge,? she said.
Nambundunga said so far, her ministry is on alert and has strengthened case management on how to treat cholera. In the same vein, it has an active cholera surveillance team that goes as far as visiting the affected cholera homes.
The director added that in efforts to fight the disease head-on, partners such as Red Cross and Medicos del Mundo have actively joined her ministry and a community mobilisation team is in place.
The team is educating residents about cholera and how to prevent the disease. It is also distributing locally produced leaflets with facts about cholera. The leaflets appear in English, Afrikaans and Otjiherero.
Nambundunga also disclosed that her ministry is in the process of establishing a cholera treatment centre on the hospital premises where those with suspected cholera symptoms will be treated timeously instead of spending time in clinics and hospital queues.
?The establishment of the cholera treatment unit is in full swing, we are busy clearing up the land. So far, we have received 10 tents, 10 foldable tables and 25 mattresses from the Namibian Defence Force headquarters,? she said.
Her office has also managed to establish a cholera outbreak response committee while a cholera taskforce via the regional governor?s office is also operational.
Nambundunga is appealing for teamwork and technical support from all stakeholders while in the same vein cautioning residents that cholera kills and thus community members are urged to report suspected cases to nearby health facilities.
?We need to be hygienic in handling food whenever cooking, wash our hands often especially after using the latrine, water from other sources should at least be boiled and our people should by all means avoid nomadic life,? she cautioned.
She also said other neighbouring regions should be on alert especially Omusati and Oshana, which serve as shopping centres for Opuwo residents
http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=2516