RC urges improved water access to prevent Cholera outbreaks

KATAVI: KATAVI Regional Commissioner (RC), Ms Mwanamvua Mrindoko, has instructed water authorities to enhance accessibility to water services to prevent an undesirable recurrence of cholera outbreaks in the region.

Ms Mrindoko said her instructions are directed to Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RUWASA) that serves broader area in rural precincts and Mpanda Urban Water Supply and Sanitation (MUWASA), which provide water services in Mpanda Municipality.

Equally the RC instructed managers of the water authorities in the region to ensure they meticulously treat water before supplying so that only clean and safe water is consumed by the public.

Ms Mrindoko issued her directives recently during a meeting with journalists.

The RC called for concerted efforts among the District Commissioners (DCs) and councils’ executive directors (DEDs) to educate the public to build better toilets and use them for hygiene as a measure to prevent cholera outbreak and other epidemic diseases.

“We must focus and put emphasis on prevention than treatment, cholera is preventable if we observe hygiene rules, let’s educate the public, especially those in remote and rural areas as well as those living near water sources to protect them and avoid polluting them,” she insisted.

The RC explained that she was compelled to react that way, following the recurrence of cholera outbreak at Kasese, Makanyagio, Magamba and Dilifu areas.

“Let’s continue encouraging citizens to avoid eating cold or unhygienically prepared food as well as encouraging them to wash their hands with running water and soap before preparing food, eating and after using the toilet,” she added.

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Ms Mrindoko mentioned some of the causes for the recurrence of outbreaks as lack of clean and safe water, little understanding of how to prevent the disease and lack of better toilets as well as poor use of toilets.

Equally, she urged people living on the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in the region to shun from improper use of toilets in efforts to fight against cholera outbreak in the area.

“I have report that people have turned the lake into their toilet, this is not acceptable because you put yourselves and others on a great risk of being infected with cholera due to poor sanitation,” she explained.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoea infection usually contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or water and is closely linked to poor sanitation.

Additionally, she urged citizens living on the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika to change their behaviours by having toilets at their homes and make proper use of them.

She attributed death related to outbreak of cholera to poor hygiene among the communities, lack of safe water and lack of an improper use of toilets.

Latest available statistics indicate Africa is still grappling with the disease, with a large number of deaths occurring in the continent.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 80 per cent of deaths from cholera between 2014 and 2021 globally occurred in Africa while the continent recorded 20 per cent of cholera cases in the world.

The report indicates that out of 100 deaths in the world, 80 were from Africa.

The report outlined the causes of the high number of deaths in the region, including late diagnosis of epidemics, case management quality and insufficient preparedness or readiness of health system.