Caritas/Makeni joins fight against cholera outbreak
Port Loko, Sept. (SLENA) – Caritas-Makeni, one of the humanitarian NGOs operating in Port Loko District has resolved to join the District Health Management Team (DHMT) in the fight against any outbreak of cholera in the district.
This was made public by its Executive Director, Bro. Joe Turay at a meeting of stakeholders held last week in the district headquarter town of Port Loko.
He spoke of the cordial working relation his organization has with farmers in the past two years and how felt compelled to mobilize support, especially with rumours of imminent outbreak of cholera in the district.
Bro. Joe Turay said Caritas was in Port Loko to map out strategies to avert the spread of such a killer disease and called for the cooperation of all and sundry.
The Medical Adviser to Caritas Makeni, Dr. Patrick Turay reflected on the 2012 cholera outbreak in the country which resulted in the death of many people largely because it occurred at a time the country was ill prepared for it.
He said they have singled out Kambia and Port Loko districts because places like Yealiboya, Kassiri, Mambolo, Bailor, Conakry Dee and Lokomasama have often served as either breeding grounds or entry points for the disease into the country.
In his contribution, the Emergency Response Officer for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), which funded the project, Mr. Joseph Osman Mansaray, said even though he was impressed by the involvement of the community stakeholders, yet his agency would have been more willing to help in the developing the communities than fighting against diseases.
According to the Port Loko District Medical Officer, Dr. Adikali Kamara, who chaired the meeting, cholera often starts with diarrhea and vomiting, citing the case of 2012 during the disease claimed the lives of over 230 lives.
HB/P’Loko/SLENA
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