Uíge — The minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, advocated on Wednesday (08), in the province of Uíge, for strengthening measures to stop the spread of the cholera outbreak in this region of the country.
Since February of the current year, the province of Uíge has recorded a cumulative 722 cases of the disease, resulting in 4 deaths.
"Given the statistics from recent weeks, we need to strengthen measures. And these measures must be strengthened jointly," the minister stressed.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Sílvia Lutucuta defended this position during a meeting with members of the Multisectoral Commission to Combat the outbreak, led by the provincial governor of Uíge, José Carvalho da Rocha, as part of a few hours' visit to the province.
She said that the measures to be strengthened included health promotion and awareness campaign, the need to educate the population about the disease and improving the supply of drinking water.
The official noted that cholera is not a health problem, but rather a series of dysfunctional issues, from basic sanitation to the supply of drinking water, stressing that the fight against cholera begins within the family, but that families must be informed and empowered.
"We are concerned because we are seeing an exponential increase in cases in recent weeks," the official emphasized.
During her visit, which is part of the monitoring the country's cholera control process, she added that the Ministry of Health is also concerned about the deaths reported as a result of the disease outbreak.
"We came here to understand what's happening in terms of epidemiological surveillance, awareness campaign and health promotion, logistics and management within the Multisectoral Cholera Control Commission", she said.
On that occasion, she called on traditional authorities and churches to mobilize to combat the disease.
In turn, the Provincial Governor of Uíge, José Carvalho da Rocha, stated that the fight against cholera is being reinforced by a team of doctors who will work with local professionals to halt the disease's progression.
He also announced the permanent supply of drinking water and the strengthening of awareness campaigns in the communities.
During her stay in Uíge, the minister, accompanied by the Secretaries of State for Health and the Environment, and national directors of the Ministry of Health, Water, and Hospitals, visited several water supply points in the affected neighborhoods and at cholera treatment centers.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
NM/JAR/CF/jmc
