Five die, 88 hospitalised as cholera hits Centre Region.

The Minister of Public Health, Dr Manaouda Malachie, confirmed the development in a statement yesterday.

According to the Minister’s release, cases of cholera have been confirmed in six health districts across the Centre Region.

Minister Manaouda said the situation has been spiraling in the last four weeks. He said cases of cholera have been confirmed in the health districts of Obala, Djoungolo, Cité Verte, Biyem Assi, Mfou and Nkolndongo.

As at April 19, the Minister stated, the epidemiological situation shows 88 confirmed cases and five deaths, representing a fatality rate of 5.68%.

He assured the population that government and its partners have activated the Incident Management System for Cholera epidemic at the Central. The same mechanism, the Minister noted in his release, has been put on the alert across the entire Centre Region.

He further noted that preventive and curative measures will continue to be taken in order to protect the local population and medical personnel working to arrest the situation.

Officials of the Regional Delegation of Public Health for the Centre Region, the Minister disclosed, have been instructed to arrest the epidemic and stop it from spreading to other Regions.

Detailing what has been done this far, the Minister of Public Health wrote: “Free case management, sensitisation, disinfection of households and communities are effective; water purification kits were made available to affected communities and the surveillance system put on alert”.

On what the cholera epidemic is all about, the health Minister noted that: “Cholera is an acute intestinal infection caused by the ingestion of water or food contaminated by the highly contagious and deadly Vibrio cholera bacillus”.

He used the opportunity to call on the public to remain vigilant and respect good hygiene practices. Dr Manaouda prescribed the systematic washing of hands with clean flowing water and soap before eating and after using latrines; washing of food with potable water before consumption, water purification before drinking and proper cooking of food.

The Minister also charged the population of the Centre Region to use the toll-free number 1510 to report anyone found manifesting symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting to the nearest health facility.

According to statistics presented by the Ministry of Public Health, since last year, Cameroon has registered over 15,000 cholera cases with over 311 deaths.