Practice good hygiene to keep cholera at Bay

Murang’a, Saturday May 27, 2023

KNA by Anita Omwenga

A Murang’a health officer is calling upon local residents to practice good personal hygiene in order to avoid contracting cholera. 

The County Health Promotion officer, Danson Mwangi said provision of clean, safe water and food and proper sanitation was critical to prevent and control the spread of cholera especially at a time when new cholera cases are being reported in the country. 

Speaking to KNA in his office at Murang’a level 5 hospital, Mwangi encouraged residents to wash their hands thoroughly with clean water and soap before eating or handling food and after visiting the toilet to keep the killer disease at bay. 

“The health department is encouraging people to frequently wash their hands with soap and clean water before eating and after visiting the toilet,” he said and advised residents to drink water from credible sources. 

“Water meant for drinking should be boiled or treated with water aqua tabs,” he said, adding that aqua tabs are readily available in the market and also in some of the government local health facilities. 

He cautioned residents to shun food from roadside kiosks and from hawkers since they don’t know where it was sourced, neither how it had been prepared. 

“You should eat food only from designated places. For example from your homes or hotels which have been inspected by public health officials,” Mwangi said adding they should not eat food that is cold and people should cover their food such that flies don’t access it and end up contaminating it. 

Mwangi observed that there has been a number of confirmed cases of cholera reported in the neighbouring counties including Kiambu and Kirinyaga and that residents have to remain vigilant since the last episode of cholera outbreak in the county originated from Kiambu.    

“Some of our residents went to Kiambu to attend a funeral and upon their return, they started showing symptoms of cholera,” he said, adding that they were later tested and confirmed to have been infected. 

According to the officer, no case of cholera has been confirmed and reported in the county in recent past. However, he says: “There is one case under investigation in Kandara sub county hospital whose results are awaited to confirm if the patient has cholera or not.” 

He said the health department has embarked on Cholera health education in various forums including committee units, in barazas, schools and in churches. 

“We are carrying out sensitization in our health facilities to our patients on what causes cholera, the symptoms of cholera and how they can prevent the disease from spreading,” said Mwangi. 

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. 

It affects both children and adults and can lead to death if left untreated. Cholera remains a global threat to public health.

Courtesy ; K. N. A