Via allAfrica.com, a report from The New Vision: Uganda: Cholera Cripples Bududa One Week After Landslide. Excerpt:
An outbreak of cholera has hit Bunakasala parish in Bulucheke sub-county in Bududa district, spelling double tragedy to the area that was struck by landslides last week.
Betty Mukyala, the Bududa acting district health officer disclosed in an interview on Sunday that three cholera patients from Bunakasala parish were admitted to Bushika Health Centre for treatment.
Mukyala attributed the outbreak to the inadequacy of safe water points in the parish located along the steep slopes of Mt. Elgon.
"Bunakasala parish had one spring well serving multitudes of people in the area. This well, however, was buried when landslides struck the area on June 25.
"As such, many residents are left with no option but to fetch surface water from contaminated streams that crisscross the parish for consumption and domestic use," Mukyala said.
Bududa district, like its neighbours Mbale and Pallisa, has been grappling with the cholera epidemic since February.
The disease has killed eight people with a cumulative figure of 197 cases. The district has gazetted Bushika Health Centre as the cholera isolation treatment point.
Whereas the safe water coverage in the district is at 62%, the figure is a dismal 40% in Bulucheke sub-county.
So much fear and speculation
With the poor pit latrine coverage in Bulucheke estimated at about 41% coupled with the continuous rains pounding the area, health workers dread this could escalate the prevalence of cholera in Bulucheke.
"We started battling cholera in Bududa even before the rains started, hoping that we would stamp out the disease before the rains. This wasn't possible. Now that the landslide struck Bulucheke amidst the rainy season, we fear this could increase the cases of cholera and malaria in the area," Mukyala said.
"Our plan is to establish a mobile clinic within the area to curtail the impact of the disease and other preventable diseases."
