Published Date: 2009-10-02 18:00:32
Subject: PRO/EAFR> Cholera - Uganda (02): (Kasese)
Archive Number: 20091002.202854
CHOLERA - UGANDA (02): (KASESE)
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Wed 30 Sep 2009
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda) [edited]
http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/regional-special/Kasese_District_registers_60_cholera_cases_92132.shtml
Kasese District has registered 60 cholera cases this month [September
2009], bringing the total to 498 cholera cases since March [2009],
the district health officer has said. Speaking to Daily Monitor
yesterday [29 Sep 2009], Dr Peter Mukobi said no deaths have been
registered this month. He said the disease has killed 10 people since
March [2009].
According to a health report released on Monday [28 Sep 2009],
Bukonzo West constituency, which borders the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC), has the highest number of cases totalling to 398,
Bukonzo East has 60 and Busongora County has 40 cases.
Last week [week of 21 Sep 2009], the district health team led by Ms
Rehema Muhindo, the district secretary for health, banned the sale of
cold drinks and food on roadsides. Speaking to Daily Monitor on
Monday [28 Sep 2009], Ms Muhindo said: "The ban is aimed at reducing
cholera cases in the district and some punitive measures have been
imposed in all the 23 sub-counties in the district."
Ms Muhindo said Bukonzo West is mainly affected because of border
business transactions with the Congolese. In the DRC, at least 100
people have died of cholera in parts of eastern province since
January [2009], according to medical sources.
The Kasese Town Council principal education officer, Mr Loius
Muhwezi, said the main cause of the disease is poor sanitation. Dr
Peter Mukobi, attributed the cholera outbreak to poor latrine
coverage. "When it rains, the waters wash down the faecal material
into the rivers and this increases the risk factor," Mr Mukobi said
on Monday [28 Sep 2009].
Kasese was last year [2008] hit by cholera and more than 120 cases
were registered. The DRC's South Kivu Province is the worst affected,
with at least 75 people dead and 6392 infected, said Ms Eugene
Kabambi, who is in charge of communications at the World Health
Organisation (WHO) in DRC.
[Byline: Columbus Tusiime, Felix Basiime & Agencies]
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-EAFR
[The persistence and probably upsurge of cholera in this region is a
key indication of the poor understanding of the local population on
the importance of maintaining good hygiene through proper faecal
disposal and the use of the other control measures to reduce
transmission. The health authorities need to double their effort to
maintain outbreaks to bear minimum.
Kasese district in southwestern Uganda can be located on the
administrative map at
http://www.coetzee-uganda.com/index_files/District_Map_of_Uganda.htm.
- Mod. BE]