Cholera kills 4 in Butaleja
Jun 10, 2008
FOUR people have died of cholera and 29 are admitted in critical condition in Butaleja district. The district health officer, Dr. Kenneth Mweru, said the four were at Nabiganda health centre in Kachonga sub-county.
By Daniel Edyegu
FOUR people have died of cholera and 29 are admitted in critical condition in Butaleja district. The district health officer, Dr. Kenneth Mweru, said the four were at Nabiganda health centre in Kachonga sub-county.
“They complained of severe diarrhoea and vomiting. We took samples of their stool for examination at Busolwe Hospital and the tests confirmed that they are suffering from cholera,†Mweru said on Sunday.
The most affected areas , Mweru said, were Kachonga, Butaleja and Mazimasa sub-counties.
He said Nabiganda health centre had been gazetted to handle cholera patients, while others were admitted in Butaleja health centre and Kabasa Memorial Hospital.
Mweru said the Ministry of Health had delivered gloves and drugs to curb the disease. “A health team is educating the communities on how to avoid contracting the disease.â€
Mweru advised residents to boil drinking water and eat warm food as preventive measures.
He attributed the outbreak of the disease to the poor sanitation and heavy rains that caused the flooding of the Manafwa and Namatala rivers.
“The pit latrine coverage in Butaleja is less than 60%.
“Even those available are in water-logged areas and have collapsed, forcing people to use bushes for both the long and short calls.â€
Moses Wabala, the head of Nabiganda health centre, said they receive at least two new cases daily.
The LC5 chairman, Richard Waya, said the selling cooked food stuffs and fruits on roadsides had been banned to contain the disease.
“We have instructed LCs to arrest anybody who does not comply with this directive.â€
Cholera is an acute diarrhoea illness caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with bacteria, according to the World Health Organisation.
It has a short incubation period, from less than one day to five days.
The symptoms include diarrhoea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not prompt.
Vomiting also occurs in most patients.
FOUR people have died of cholera and 29 are admitted in critical condition in Butaleja district. The district health officer, Dr. Kenneth Mweru, said the four were at Nabiganda health centre in Kachonga sub-county.
“They complained of severe diarrhoea and vomiting. We took samples of their stool for examination at Busolwe Hospital and the tests confirmed that they are suffering from cholera,†Mweru said on Sunday.
The most affected areas , Mweru said, were Kachonga, Butaleja and Mazimasa sub-counties.
He said Nabiganda health centre had been gazetted to handle cholera patients, while others were admitted in Butaleja health centre and Kabasa Memorial Hospital.
Mweru said the Ministry of Health had delivered gloves and drugs to curb the disease. “A health team is educating the communities on how to avoid contracting the disease.â€
Mweru advised residents to boil drinking water and eat warm food as preventive measures.
He attributed the outbreak of the disease to the poor sanitation and heavy rains that caused the flooding of the Manafwa and Namatala rivers.
“The pit latrine coverage in Butaleja is less than 60%.
“Even those available are in water-logged areas and have collapsed, forcing people to use bushes for both the long and short calls.â€
Moses Wabala, the head of Nabiganda health centre, said they receive at least two new cases daily.
The LC5 chairman, Richard Waya, said the selling cooked food stuffs and fruits on roadsides had been banned to contain the disease.
“We have instructed LCs to arrest anybody who does not comply with this directive.â€
Cholera is an acute diarrhoea illness caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with bacteria, according to the World Health Organisation.
It has a short incubation period, from less than one day to five days.
The symptoms include diarrhoea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is not prompt.
Vomiting also occurs in most patients.