Following cholera outbreak in Kiambu county, health care workers and Community Health Volunteers (CHVS) have started giving talks and sensitizing members of the public on the same.
This has happened as Kiambu County is the epicenter of the outbreak, following confirmation by the Ministry of Health of 61 cases reported across six counties, whose origin have been traced to a wedding festival in Limuru Sub-County on October 8th, 2022,
The sixty-one have been reported to spread across Kiambu (31), Nairobi (17), Murang’a (1), Kajiado (2), Nakuru (2) and Uasin Gishu (8).
County Departments of Health through health care workers and CHVS have therefore commenced response activities including field investigations, enhanced surveillance, laboratory testing, case management, risk communication, community engagement and environmental sanitation to prevent further spread of the disease and manage the outbreak.
“Our Health care workers and CHVS in all the 12 Sub-counties have been going to health centers, market places, schools and worship centers to sensitize the public on Cholera prevention and control measures,” said Kiambu Health CECM Dr. Joseph Murega.
According to the health CEC the Sub-County Health Management Teams and CHVs will also be watching out for patients presenting with watery diarrhea of acute onset, conduct active search for acute watery diarrhea in health facilities and within the communities for missed/unreported cases hence strengthen surveillance activities up to the village level.
“All members of the public are urged to visit the nearest health facility once they experience diarrhea since Cholera is an extremely virulent disease and can kill within hours is not treated,” he said.
Speaking to KNA, Dorothy Kinyua a Community Health Volunteer said their aim is to enhance collaboration across the Sub countries to prevent trans-border transmissions resulting from movements of infected persons and will eventually curb the spread even in other counties
“Members of the public should ensure that they observe proper sanitation and maintain high standards of personal hygiene including proper hand washing with soap and water,” cited Kinyua.
By Grace Naishoo
