Govt urged to manage sewage systems effectively to avert Cholera

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Sewage system in Mathare slums. PHOTO: COURTESY.

Nairobi, KENYA: The government has been urged to manage sewage systems effectively across the country in order to avert cases of cholera being reported .

Speaking to Baraka FM in Nairobi on Tuesday, county chief promotion health officer Lilian Mutua said that there is need for the government to maintain the sewerage system terming it one way of averting a looming crisis affecting Nairobi county and other parts of the country.

She urged the public to report cases of sewerage so that relevant authorities can take action early to avoid chances of cholera outbreak.

She also urged Wananchi to embrace cleanliness by washing hands, taking treated or boiled water and managing latrines effectively in bid to minimize instances of cholera.

She said that the county government has come up with initiatives to sensitize the population especially in informal sector so as to curb such cases.

The country has been having a Cholera outbreak since early May 2017, with the first two cases reported in Mathare area, Nairobi. Cumulatively, a total of 381 cases including 4 deaths have been reported in Nairobi County so far.

On the other hand, Mutua said that the increase of mortality rates in Nariobi is as a result of a very high population and other counties depend on Nairobi for health facilities.

“Firstly Nairobi county’s population is high that is why the mortality rates are high.A times Nairobi county receives patients from Kiambu ,Kajiado, Machakos and we cannot turn them away.”Mutua said.

On Tuesday, reports emerged from  the Health Ministry that a number of prisoners in Kisumu’s Kodiaga prison were also admitted after developing cholera like symptoms.

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