29 January 2009
Despite a large drop in the number of children under five-years treated for
diarrhoea in the Eastern Cape, the health department is still concerned, it
said on Thursday. Spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said in a statement that 1 341
children were treated at 52 hospitals between October and December last year,
compared to 3 000 children treated over the same period in 2007.
In 2007, 114 children died during a two-month period in the Ukhahlamba
district alone, compared to 124 children who died between October and December
last year across the entire province. The deaths were related to diarrhoea
infections. Most of them occurred in December last year, with the highest
number of deaths reported in the OR Tambo area. The Ukhahlamba district
reported only 11 deaths during December. The department would dispense "rota"
viral medicines to children under the age of five.
"People of the Eastern Cape are now being urged to practise good hygiene at
all times. Because of hot conditions and rainy season diarrhoea cases are
observed, especially from rural areas where there is no proper sanitation and
piped or clean water," Kupelo said.
Mothers are urged to seek medical attention as soon as their children start
showing signs of diarrhoea to prevent dehydration. "Diarrhoeal disease has been
the major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under the age of
five." This situation has forced the department to keep its hands on deck and
has now embarked on routine diarrhoeal disease surveillance. "Immediate
reporting or daily, weekly and monthly notification and investigation remain
the effective and efficient integral part of early detection and control of any
suspected disease outbreak in the province," Kupelo said.
The Eastern Cape health department aimed to ensure that communities
practised basic hygiene and used safe water. Eastern Cape health wanted rota
and pneumococcus vaccination at Ukhahlamba to continue. The department aimed to
ensure that "all other infectious diarrhoea (such as cholera) are treated with
established outbreak response management within 24 hours."
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
29 January 2009
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za)
