Cholera Kills Three Persons In Buea Within 24 Hours

Cholera has killed three persons in Buea, Fako division of the South West region within 24 hours. According to the District Medical Officer, DMO of the Buea Health District, Dr Ngund Mathias, the three cholera deaths were recorded on Tuesday, March 15.

The detection of new cases of persons infected, he said, brings cumulative cholera cases confirmed in the town since the outbreak in January to 193.

He told journalists that 16 cases in recent days were persons coming from Mile 16 – Bolifamba neighbourhood.

He blamed the rising cases on the neglect of preventive measures government and health authorities have prescribed. He also blamed water scarcity for the outbreak at Bolifamba.

To prevent cholera, medics have advised the population to wash all food before eating, wash hands before and after meals and after using the toilet and to avoid roadside food.

Clean water, which is a vital weapon to fight the endemic, has become scarcer in most neighbourhoods in Buea. The town has been the latest of the five health districts in the South West region that have registered cholera outbreaks since late 2021.

The United Nations, UN, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA reported on March 10 that close to 1,000 cholera cases had been confirmed in the region as of January 31, with 23 deaths recorded.