Cholera has killed 11 people in Nairobi…and still counting
At least 11 people have died from cholera in Nairobi following an outbreak in the past few weeks.
Some 47 others were admitted to different hospitals and health facilities within the city.
The prevalence of the infectious disease in the city is 57, said County Health Executive Benard Muia on Wednesday.
At least 204 cases have been confirmed in Nairobi since the outbreak of the disease in December last year.
“The fatality rate is at 5.3 per cent and majority of the cases have occurred in Kibra and Kamukunji,” said Dr Muia as he received a donation of 100,000 sachets of a water purifier from Procter and Gamble.
He said the outbreak was being handled through a multi-sectoral approach since the health department alone could not stop the spread.
The county government is undertaking sensitisation in the affected areas.
Trucks supplying water to Kibra have been increased from three to five and residents have been advised to drink treated water or treat it by using chemicals or through boiling, said Dr Muia.
TREATMENT UNITS
The county government has also increased cholera treatment units in the county.
“I urge people who develop symptoms to seek treatment at the nearest health facility. The 47 cases of people who have been admitted are stable,” he said.
At least 90 per cent of cases admitted at the Mbagathi District Hospital are from Kibera slums where the concentration is much higher compared to other parts of Nairobi.
Other hospitals where patients have been admitted are Mama Lucy Hospital, Mathare North, Kibera South and Bahati health facilities.
He warned Nairobi residents to be careful with their health.
“Health is an individual effort and it belongs to everybody. Therefore we should take full control of what we eat and what we drink,” he said.