Rwanda issues cholera alert after outbreak in Uganda
Wednesday May 09 2018
A health worker treats cholera patients after in Kampala, Uganda. FILE PHOTO | MONITOR | NMG
Rwanda has issued an alert following cholera outbreak in neighbouring Uganda.
The Ministry of Health has asked its citizens travelling to Uganda and those living along the border to be vigilant and maintain high levels of hygiene.
“We hereby urge all Rwandans in general and those residing in Sectors bordering Uganda to be careful about taking foods, drinks or fruits that are unhygienic while in Uganda,” Health Minister Diane Gashumba said in a statement on Wednesday.
She also urged the public to report any suspected cholera case and to take appropriate prevention measures like ensuring hygiene at homes, washing hands with soap, drinking boiled water and having clean toilets.
In Uganda, cholera has claimed more than 40 lives majority of them refugees with scores others receiving treatment in hospitals.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that is contracted by ingesting food or water contaminated with a bacterium carried in human faeces and spread through poor sanitation and dirty drinking water.
It can kill within a few hours if left untreated.
The signs and symptoms of cholera include abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration, among others.
-Additional reporting by Johnson Kanamugire