KALI Supports Cholera Task Force in Kasese District

In attempts to curb cholera outbreak in Kasese District, Karambi Action for Life Improvement (KALI) has mobilized volunteers to disseminate information on disease/cholera to the community especially the already affected communities like Kayanzi landing site.

The upsurge of cholera cases is attributed to the lack of clean water and proper sanitation facilities coupled with the current heavy rains and high population movement from neighboring countries.

This effort intends to assist the already established Cholera task force and the Kasese District medical team in sensitizing the communities on the outbreak of the epidemic.

Cholera hit Kayanzi landing site in Nyakiyumbu sub-county in Kasese district and later spread to some other parts of Mpondwe Lhubiriha Town Council and Busongora County.

Four people are said to have perished following the outbreak of this epidemic.

According to the In- Charge Kayanzi Health Centre II Mr.Balinda Simon the death of the four residents was enhanced by the ignorance of the residents who delayed the patients and kept attributing their illness to witch craft instead of taking the affected for treatment. He noted that those who died did not visit the HC in time and ended up being dehydrated.

Karambi Action for Life Improvement was the first Non-Governmental Organization in Kasese that came up to empower stake holders to sensitize the masses on the outbreak of cholera in the already affected areas of Kayanzi and Mpondwe Lhubiriha Market.

The team named “Cholera task force” was supported by KALI; it moved to Mpondwe Lhubiriha market sensitizing the market vendors who were selling juice, sugar canes, and some other food stuffs to halt their business until the disease ends.

The same team went to Bwera Hospital where they met the hospital administrators and laid modalities to boost massive sensitization of the communities. During the visit the team learnt that the four Cholera patients who had been admitted at the Hopsital were steadily improving however, unit allocated for cholera patients was in a sorry state in terms of its infrastructure.

In Kayanzi, the team visited the landing site and Kayanzi HCII where Cholera patients were being admitted. The team established that latrine coverage at the landing site was alarmingly low, and that the water facilities being used by residents are in a poor state- sanitation and safety.

In addition to this the team learnt that residents in Kayanzi drink and use lake water which same lake some residents use to dispose off their human waste. It was observed that under such circumstances, an epidemic is inevitable.

Commenting on this situation the Kasese District LCV Chairman Lt. Col. Mawa Muhindo noted that the district leadership had created a treatment centre in Kayanzi such that the disease doesn’t easily spread to the rest of the parts in the district. He also revealed that modalities to construct the road to Kayanzi are underway such that Cholera patients are not delayed on the way in case there was need for them to be transferred to Bwera, Kagando and Kilembe hospitals.

Besides the field sensitization exercise, Karambi Action for Life Improvement offered a one hour live talk show on Kasese Guide radio to sensitize the masses on the epidemic and how the disease can be prevented.

It is important to note that massive community awareness on how to prevent, identify and treat cholera was created.