Rukwa intensifies fight against cholera

RUKWA Regional Commissioner (RC) Ms Queen Sendiga has urged people living on the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in Nkasi and Kalambo district in the region to shun from improper use of toilets in efforts to fight against cholera outbreak in the area.

The RC said she was compelled to react following lack of and improper use of toilets in communities along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in Nkasi district.

“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 warned

Cholera is an acute diarrhea 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 in Nkasi and Kalambo districts to change their behaviours by having toilets at their homes and make proper use of them.

The RC made the call yesterday while gracing the commemoration of the World AIDS Day held at Kirando ward along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in Nkasi district.

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

“Worse still, Nkasi district is leading on spreading the disease because its citizens lack of toilets or improper use of toilets. I’m directing the District Commissioner (Mr Peter Lijualikali) to make sure each household along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika have toilets and use them properly in efforts to fight against cholera

Seriously, in this rainy season I don’t want to hear cases related to cholera outbreak in Kirando ward and other precincts along the shore of Lake Tanganyika in both Nkasi and Kalambo districts,” vowed the RC.

Recently, Minister for Health, Ms Ummy Mwalimu noted that early this year, Tanzania reported 519 cases of cholera, out of which 11 people died of the disease.

The cholera cases were reported in Rukwa, Kigoma and Katavi regions.

“This number of deaths is unacceptable, still there is work to be done to ensure that all stakeholders join hands to trim down the deaths,” she said.

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 Organization (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.