Namibia: Water Tablets Run Out
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New Era (Windhoek)
18 March 2008
Posted to the web 18 March 2008
Petronella Sibeene
Windhoek
Health officials in the north are running out of water purification chemicals amid reports that suspected cholera cases have shot up to 182.
Health Director for the Northern Regions, Dr Naftali Hamata, yesterday said the north is in short supply of water purification sachets and thousands of people risk contracting waterborne diseases.
Since floods started a month ago, two people have died of cholera in the Ohangwena Region while hundreds more have been treated for mild diarrhoea in the Omusati and Oshana regions.
"Water purification tablets are lacking. We need more because there are a lot of people affected," said Dr Hamata.
Torrential rains have washed away roads, bridges, submerged schools and clinics and claimed more than 40 lives.
According to health officials, most roads have become inaccessible resulting in most people being cut off from health facilities. The inaccessibility of roads has also contributed to delays in health service delivery to the people by outreach teams.
"Even people who live only seven kilometres away from the clinics cannot reach because there is water all over," said Dr Hamata.
Although Omusati has recorded no cases of cho-lera, the region continues to register cases of mild diarrhoea.
Namibia Red Cross Society National Manager, Naemi Heita, told New Era yesterday that the organisation has so far distributed 150000 water purification tablets to the affected areas including the Caprivi Region.
She said there are about 200000 purification tablets that will be distributed in areas running low in supply.
She added that the Namibia Red Cross Society is in the process of procuring more water purification chemicals from South Africa.
Dr Hamata urged people who have received the purification chemicals to use them as instructed. To those fishing in the floodwater, he advised them to carry water for drinking and not take contaminated water.
Meanwhile, hydrologist Guido van Langenhove said the weather over the catchment area, both in Angola and Namibia, was fairly clear from Friday afternoon, but rainy conditions returned on Sunday afternoon. The water levels at the two recording points between Omafu and Okalongo are falling, but this may also be the effect of nearby breaches in the road, diverting the water away from the culverts where the recorders are installed. The situation in the Cuvelai oshanas is only worsening, he said.
Regarding the Kunene River, the hydrologist said there have been heavy rains in southwestern Angola since the beginning on March and a major flood has developed in the Lower Kunene River.
Head of the Emergency Management Unit, Gabriel Kangowa, said yesterday that 450 tents with the sheltering capacity of 12000 people arrived in the country.
About 225 tents are destined for the northern areas while the remaining will be distributed in Caprivi. Kangowa said this year's flooding in Katima Mulilo is not as severe as in the north.
Although areas such as Linyanti are reported to have been badly affected by floods with fears mounting that farmers will have nothing to harvest, Kangowa said the situation cannot be compared to the north.
Hydrologists say the water levels fell from the earlier peak of 6.11 metres to 5.40 metres during the weekend.
However, reports from upstream indicated that a new flood wave from Angola was building up in the main river.
Chavuma, at the Angola/Zambia border, reported an increase of more than half-a-metre in less than a week. Also Lukulu, Matongo and Senanga in the Barotse floodplains in Zambia are starting to rise. It should be borne in mind that in normal years, the maximum level at Katima Mulilo is reached only in April.
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"We will continue to monitor the situation," Kangowa said.
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We have ready stock of Water Purification Tablets used for 4to 5 litres,25 litres and also for large volume of Water. Tablets can be shipped within one day from India. These Tablets are used in flood affected areas and places where safe potable water is not available Dr R S GOSWAMI 00919425007474
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I read the article about the water tablets for water purification. I have a suggestion which I frankly am surprised no one has heard about. We have a product which is used by the American Red Cross to PURIFY water. It is called the Berkey Water Purification System and is a portable, counter top, gravity fed system in which you can pour raw water in the top compartment and it produces pure water in the bottom chamber. Please consider this, as it is the world's best water purification systems. You may find it at www.ecco-water.com