Photo: Anna Jefferys/IRIN

A mother washes her child in Kroo Bay slum in Freetown, where access to basic sanitation is severely limited and cholera outbreaks are regular occurrences.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the District Health Management Team (DHMT) in Moyamba district has disclosed that about 20 people have died from the cholera outbreak in the district since 25 July this year.

Speaking at a sensitization meeting organized by the Social Mobilization Coordinator of the DHMT, Kemah stated that a total of 392 cases were reported in the district including 111 which affected under-5 children.

"151 males and 241 were affected by the cholera disease. Kargboro Chiefdom accounted for 156 cases with five deaths; Ribbi Chiefdom had 44 cases with seven deaths; while Bumpeh and Kaiyamba chiefdoms recorded 55 cases with three and two deaths respectively," he explained.

He disclosed that Bagruwa and Fakunya chiefdoms accounted for 12 and 18 cases respectively with no death reported and Kongbora Chiefdom had 17 cases with two deaths.

District Social Mobilization Coordinator, Agnes Ngeleh, stated that they have intensified sensitization in all the chiefdoms in the district and that has helped reduce the number of cases reported.

She called on all stakeholders present to put the messages they have learnt into practice so that others will copy from them.

"I advise you to spread the message of thorough hand washing, environmental hygiene and the dangers of open defecation to the public," she urged.

Paramount Chief of Kaiyamba Chiefdom, Foday Momoh Gulama, promised to talk to his subjects to adhere to all the prevention messages they have heard. He registered his commitment to ensure that they enforce bye-laws that were developed in the chiefdom to make the district safe from cholera.