Health stakeholders in Garissa have been mobilised to avert a possible crisis following the outbreak of cholera that has already claimed four lives.
The total number of confirmed cases in the county now stands at 372 as of November 27. Most of the cases are coming from Dadaab refugee camps.
The first case was reported on November 23, at the Hagadera refugee camp before spreading to other parts of the county.
Hagadera refugee camp has reported 160 cases while Dagahaley the officials reported 87 cases.
Other refugee camps that have also reported cases includes IFO (52), Saretho (10) and Kambios (1).
This notes a worrying trend that indicates the diseases is fast spreading to other parts of the county.
The report indicates that various locations within Dadaab and Garissa Township have also reported cases.
For instance Bula Madina has had three cases same as Madogo area near Tana River county.
County Health executive Ahmednadhir Omar spoke on Tuesday after co-chairing a multi sectoral and coordination response meeting with the county commissioner Boaz Cherutich.
He said that all effort will be made to contain the highly contagious disease from spreading further.
“We are also having some sporadic cases in different parts of the county that are being reported and for this reason we are closely working with the national government and other non-governmental organisation to contain the situation,” he said.
He urged residents to improve their hygiene to help in containing the spread of the contentious diseases.
“It is only through joint efforts that we can contain this disease. We want to thank the national government and NGOs like Unicef, UNHCR, Kenya Red Cross among others who have remained active in sensitising the community,” he said.
Cherutich asked local chiefs and deputy county commissioner to hold sensitisation meetings in their respective areas.
“I have instructed chiefs and their assistants to move door to door to sensitise residents on hygiene with the help of local elders,” he said.
Cherutich cited lack of latrines, water shortage and poor hygieneas the biggest contributors to the spred of the disease.
“I instructed Nema and public officers to work closely with health department to ensure we contain this diseases,” he said.
