Local media and youth groups are helping provide basic prevention advice, says UNICEF
DAKAR (AlertNet) - A cholera outbreak has killed 14 people in Central African Republic (CAR), mainly in villages along the banks of the Ubangi river some 80 km south of the capital Bangui, according to the U.N. children’s fund (UNICEF).
Cholera is a diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or water. It can kill in a matter of hours but is treatable with prompt administration of oral rehydration salts.
Aid agencies are supporting government health teams in the impoverished country to respond to the outbreak. They are hoping it does not spread to more densely populated areas, including Bangui, where overcrowding and poor sanitation propagate infection.
Local media and youth groups are being used as channels to provide basic prevention advice, such as regular handwashing with soap.
“Because CAR has not had cholera cases in many years, people do not necessarily know what basic measures to take to protect themselves,” said Tanya Chapuisat, head of UNICEF in the country.
“Getting the information out to the people about how they, as individuals and communities, can prevent the spread of cholera is critical,” she added in a statement.
UNICEF plans to reach about 60,000 people in the areas hit by the disease.
This year alone, cholera has infected tens of thousands of people in West and Central Africa, including in three countries - Cameroon, Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo – which share borders with CAR.
Cholera kills 14 in Central African Republic
By George Fominyen
DAKAR (AlertNet) - A cholera outbreak has killed 14 people in Central African Republic (CAR), mainly in villages along the banks of the Ubangi river some 80 km south of the capital Bangui, according to the U.N. children’s fund (UNICEF).
Cholera is a diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or water. It can kill in a matter of hours but is treatable with prompt administration of oral rehydration salts.
Aid agencies are supporting government health teams in the impoverished country to respond to the outbreak. They are hoping it does not spread to more densely populated areas, including Bangui, where overcrowding and poor sanitation propagate infection.
Local media and youth groups are being used to provide basic prevention advice, such as regular handwashing with soap.
“Because CAR has not had cholera cases in many years, people do not necessarily know what basic measures to take to protect themselves,” said Tanya Chapuisat, head of UNICEF in the country.
“Getting the information out to the people about how they, as individuals and communities, can prevent the spread of cholera is critical,” she added in a statement.
UNICEF plans to reach about 60,000 people in the regions that have been hit by the disease.
This year alone, cholera has infected tens of thousands of people in West and Central Africa, including in three countries - Cameroon, Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo – which share borders with CAR.
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