Minister issues cholera alert

• Disease which has killed 81 should be declared a national disaster, say experts

The government has issued an alert on the cholera outbreak following an upsurge of the disease that has killed 81 people countrywide.

Friday’s alert came as health experts appealed to President Kibaki to declare the outbreak a national disaster.

Yet another cholera case was reported at the Malindi District Hospital on Friday, with more than 20 other patients admitted with symptoms of the disease.

However, the medical officer of health, Dr Ali Hassan, said the patient was responding well to treatment.

And speaking in her Dagoretti Constituency in Nairobi, Public Health minister Beth Mugo attributed the outbreak to water shortage, which is causing residents to compromise on sanitation standards.

Nairobi is experiencing water rationing expected to last till the end of this year.

Easily preventable

At a separate press conference, the health experts said that by declaring the disease a national disaster, the government would be able to mobilise the required resources to tackle the outbreak.

They proposed the formation of a multi-disciplinary ministerial committee led by the Prime Minister’s office to tackle the epidemic before it gets out of hand.

“It is extremely sad that so many people continue to succumb to this easily preventable and treatable disease in this time and age,” said the chairman of the Association of Professional Societies in East Africa chairman, Dr Daniel Ichang’i.

Cases of the highly contagious disease, which is passed on by eating contaminated food or drinking dirty water, have been reported in Nairobi, Suba, Kisumu, Isiolo, Laisamis, Garbatulla and Moyale.

Mrs Mugo urged the public not to panic as the ministry of Public Health was distributing water chlorine tablets in the affected areas but urged residents to observe utmost cleanliness.

“Beware what you eat. Take personal responsibility for your hygiene,” said the minister.

She said the ministry had also embarked on an aggressive public awareness campaign, including supplying water to municipalities and cities.

Speaking after opening a youth empowerment seminar, the minister refuted claims of a shortage of drugs.

Mrs Mugo called for the establishment of a contingency fund to cater for health emergencies like the one being experienced countrywide.

Currently, the government is working with the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation in the provision of clean water and medication.

In Malindi, district commissioner Arthur Mugira denied media reports that several people had died of cholera in the district.

“I have read press reports and received several calls saying several people have died here of cholera. This is false,” said the DC.

Additional reporting by Daniel Nyassy