8 die in Hoima after suspected Cholera outbreak
Eight people have died and more than 300 others are hospitalised in Hoima district following a suspected cholera outbreak. The latest outbreak has been reported in Rwenyawawa village in Kyangwali Sub-County and Sebigoro landing site in Kabwoya Sub County.
The two areas are home to hundreds of Congolese refugees fleeing tribal clashes between the Lendu and Bagegere in Ituri province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The violence is believed to have pushed an estimated 43, 000 Congolese refugees into Uganda.
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Dr. Fred Kugonza, the Hoima District Disease Surveillance Officer, says the deceased suspected cholera victims were children below five years. According to Dr. Kugonza, the children presented with high fever, diarrhea and vomiting.
He explains that as part of their intervention, they have set up isolation centers in Rwenyawawa village in Kyangwali sub-county and another one at Sebigoro landing site in Kabwoya sub-counties along Lake Albert.
Dr. Kugonza says samples from some of the patients have been dispatched to the Central Government Analytical laboratory for testing. Hoima Resident District Commissioner (RDC), John Steven Ekoom advises residents to observe personal hygiene and embrace the use of pit latrines.
He blames the crisis on poor sanitary conditions in the refugee settlement camps, saying the situation is likely to worsen when rain sets in. Cholera is an acute infectious disease usually transmitted through the consumption of contaminated food and water.
