Three confirmed cases of typhoid fever in Grahamstown were reported in this month's primary healthcare report which was presented at this month's Social Services Portfolio committee meeting.
Three confirmed cases of typhoid fever in Grahamstown were reported in this month's primary healthcare report which was presented at this month's Social Services Portfolio committee meeting.
"Councillors should be concerned that there is typhoid fever in Hlalani," said Ward 7 councillor Nomhle Gaga. She said that she saw an elderly woman relieving herself under a tree, exposing residents to diseases.
Gaga insists that council considers an awareness campaign about the importance of washing your hands with soap. Sister Heather Ferreira at the Rhodes University Health Care Centre said that typhoid fever is caused by contaminated food and water that contains the bacteria salmonella. She said that the diagnosis can be made from a stool specimen.
"Signs can be a headache, lethargy, diarrhoea and fever and is treated with antibiotics," she added. Nikki Kohly, Safety, Health and Environmental Officer at Rhodes University believes that these typhoid cases are of concern, "but only for those whose levels of hygiene are not great," she said.
Kohly said leaking sewage pipes are laso a major contributor to poor sanitation. "Obviously there is need for ongoing education to wash hands after going to the toilet and before handling food. But with water cuts in various parts of the township, one can see why this aspect fails at times."
An initiative to foster and support a global and local culture of handwashing with soap, the world is celebrating Global Handwashing Day today. This initiative promotes handwashing with soap as it means lowering the rates of infectious diseases.
It was initiated in 2008 by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap and supported by governments, international institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs, private companies and individuals around the globe.
Washing hands with water alone is not enough! Handwashing with soap can prevent diseases that kill millions of children every year. The critical moments for handwashing with soap are after using the toilet, cleaning a child and before handling food. Handwashing with soap is the single most cost-effective health intervention.
Social marketing approaches that centre on the potential handwasher and his or her specific motivations are more effective than traditional disease-focused approach Source: Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group. For more information on Global Handwashing Day, visit www.globalhandwashing.org
