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Momodou
Denmark
11790 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Jul 2007 : 22:30:50
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION BANTABA
CHOLERA PREVENTION CARE
By Sarjo Camara-Singhateh
In this edition of Health and Nutrition Bantaba we are bringing you another Health issue which is cholera. It has been in our sub-region for some time now, and some of these countries affected are our neighbours.
Health personnel are concerned with the prevention method against cholera. Read on to find out what the Manager, Health Communication Unit, Mr. Amadou Sowe, has to say about cholera.
HNB: Mr. Sowe welcome to this edition of Foroyaa Health and Nutrition Bantaba. Can you tell our readers what cholera is all about?
Mr. Sowe: Cholera is a serious diarrhoeal disease caused by a tiny germ. The germ is found in human faeces (stool) and is so small that we cannot see it with our naked eye. The stool that the patient passes smells very badly and looks like rice water.
HNB: How long does it take one to detect or fall sick when the cholera germ enters your body?
Mr. Sowe: The cholera germ can quickly make you sick once it enters your body. It takes from a few hours to five days, but usually 2-3 days for one to fall sick.
HNB: How does one get infected?
Mr. Sowe: One can be infected with the cholera germ by drinking water contaminated with human faeces; eating contaminated food; eating contaminated sea foods (e.g shellfish), eating contaminated fruits or raw vegetables.
HNB: How does one diagnose cholera?
Mr. Sowe: One can detect a cholera patient by these signs/ways. The person has sudden diarrhoea with two or more watery stools per day; passes offensive watery rice like stools; looses lots of body fluids and becomes weak with sunken eyes and dry lips, may have fever, may be vomiting continuously and become restless.
HNB: How can one care for a friend or relative who is a cholera patient?
Mr. Sowe: Rush the patient to the nearest health facility. Remember that cholera is fatal. Take the patient to the nearest health facility immediately.; Prepare and give the sugar salt solution (SSS) or Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) to the patient along the way to the health facility to replace lost body fluids. Keep away other members of the family and visitors from the patient to prevent the spread of the disease; wash your hands with soap and water after touching the patient or things used by the patient; use gloves when disposing stools or vomit of the patient. If you do not have gloves, use nylon bags tied around your hands before you handle stools and contaminated linen of the patient; clean room with Omo, bleach, etc remember to take any other family member who has a sudden onset of diarrhoea to the nearest health facility, give as much fluid as possible to the patient to take. You can give any of the following: clean and safe drinking water; rice water; prepare and give sugar salt solution or ORS; juice and coconut water.
You can also give other foods like: cereal based paps; carrot soup; marshed potatoes. Remember to gradually increase solid foods during the recovery phase of the illness. Let the patient eat food that is properly cooked, not too hot or too cold and has no pepper.
HNB: How do we prevent cholera?
Mr. Sowe: Drink only water from a safe source or water that has been treated (boiled or chlorinated or treated with bleach); cook food properly and eat while it is hot; re-heat left over food thoroughly before eating; avoid uncooked food unless it can be peeled or shelled; wash hands with soap and water after any contact with human faeces and before preparing or eating food; wash your hands with soap and water before eating and before feeding a child; wash your hands with soap and water before preparing or serving food; wash your hands with soap and water after cleaning the child who has passed stools; safely dispose of human faeces in toilets; keep your homes and environment clean at all times so that there will be no flies, cockroaches, other insects and rats; keep cooked foods covered at all times and wash all vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating.
HNB: Did you receive any case this year?
Mr. Sowe: As at now no case of cholera has been reported or discovered.
HNB: How did your Department feel when you heard about an outbreak of cholera in the neighbouring countries, especially at the time of the Magal/Gamoo (religious occasion)?
Mr. Sowe: At first we were worried but now we are at peace because we did all the ground preparation at all the health facilities to make sure that if a case is detected, it could be put under control. Also we took some samples from people who attended the occasions in the sub region or our close neighbours, Senegal, but no one is found to be having the disease.
HNB: It has been rumoured that some people have cholera, that’s why the Health Department was quick to make the announcement about the cholera.
Mr. Sowe: No, that information is unfounded. There is no outbreak or case; there is no clinical or surveillance prove that there is cholera. You know there are people who are healthy carriers who don’t fall sick but they can transmit it through coughing, etc.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 76/007, 2 – 3 July 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jul 2007 : 23:56:02
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| Another very useful piece of information from this online newspaper,if this information can save one life then I for one am pleased that Uncle Sam may have a finger in Foroyaa, don't forget ALWAYS use plenty of soap and water! |
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