Residents of Garissa have been urged to continue exercising high level of Hygiene in order to stop the spread of cholera.
Garissa county Health executive Ahmednadhir Omar urged members of the public to stop ignoring the guidelines that have been put in place by the ministry.
He was speaking to the press on Saturday while giving a brief of the current situation since the highly contagious disease was first reported two weeks ago.
So far a total of six deaths (four from refugee camps and two from Dadaab) have so far been recorded.
“We have issued out guidelines that we expect residents to strictly adhere to. Bottom line is that improved hygiene is what will help in containing the spread of the contentious diseases,” Omar said.
Fifty seven new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. Dadaab subcounty (18), Fafi (37) and Garissa (2).
The total number of cases since the start of the outbreak stands at 824 persons - refugee camps (759), Dadaab Host (36) ,Garissa (14) and Tana River county (15).
A toal of 727 cases have so far been discharged -refugee camps (626),Saretho (61) and Garissa County Teaching and Referral Hospital cholera treatment unit (40).
Speaking in Garissa on Thursday last week during the official launch of the vaccination campaign against Measles Rubella in Garissa, Health Principal Secretary Peter Tum urged the citizens in counties where cholera outbreak has been reported to adhere to preventive measures like hand washing and proper sanitation in order to contain the disease.
He said that the government is working with the World Health Organization and other partners to send commodities and medicines to the refugee camps in the area where the first cases were reported.
“We are also looking at the ways of decongesting the refugee camps because as you are aware, sometimes these diseases come because of congestion,” Tum said
“Although we have reported a few deaths, I have been promised by those who are taking surveillance that the numbers are soon coming down.”
Last week county commissioner Boaz Cherutich asked local chiefs and the 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 hygiene as the biggest contributors to the spread of the disease.
“He further instructed Nema and public officers to work closely with health department to ensure that the disease is contained.
Other affected counties include Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Uasin-Gishu, Kajiado, Murang’a, Machakos, Meru and Nyeri.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
