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Namibia: Cholera Toll Hits 34
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The Namibian (Windhoek)
6 May 2008
Posted to the web 6 May 2008
Oswald Shivute
Oshakati
THE cholera death toll in the north-central and northwestern region has risen to 34, a senior health official has announced.
Dr Naftali Hamata, regional health director for Oshana and health co-ordinator for the flood emergency response in the North, said Kunene had overtaken Ohangwena as the most heavily affected region.
He said 1 600 suspected cholera cases had been reported in Kunene, of which five were confirmed as cholera.
Fifteen people have died of the waterborne disease in Kunene.
"I was at Opuwo in Kunene Region this week, and the Director of Health in Kunene, Linda Nambundunga, confirmed this number to me," Dr Hamata told The Namibian.
He said most of the cholera cases in Kunene are from the Okanguati area where people have no clean water to drink and no toilets.
They relieved themselves in the bush and the rain washed the waste into the pan where people collected water for drinking, cooking and washing, he said.
"Okangwati seems to be a health hazard to the Kunene community, and I think the Government has to do something immediately to save the people there from cholera and other waterborne diseases," Hamata said.
"I was told a school at that village with 400 learners do not have clean water and toilets and are relieving themselves in the bushes around that school.
This is really unacceptable and something has to be done in that community," He said the number of cholera cases in Ohangwena had risen to 1 360, of which 17 cases were confirmed and 19 people died.
In the Oshana Region, only five suspected cholera cases have been reported, with one confirmed and no deaths.
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No cholera cases have been reported in Omusati and Oshikoto.
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