WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU—Residents of Nyamyumba sector are showing great concern and fear over the increasing spread of cholera in the sector, a disease that recently claimed lives of four residents and continuously affects others.

Francoise Muhawenayezu, who lives in the area, says that cholera had proved to be a "continuous threat” to the people living in the region and demanded "serious attention” from local authorities and the central government.

"We ask the government to provide a long-term prevention strategy because cholera cases have been common in our sector compared to other areas.”

According to Dr. Barnett Bahorana, in charge of testing for the disease at Amahoro hospital in Nyamyumba sector, said that cases had and were being reported all along the Lake Kivu shorelines.

"We have had similar cases in other sectors along Lake Kivu and this is evident that the use of Kivu water is the root cause of the outbreaks,” he said.

He explained that residents along the lake had a habit of drinking contaminated, un-boiled lake water which results into disease.

He called upon resident along the lake to always drink boiled waters and to report cholera cases to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.

State minister in charge of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases Innocent Nyaruhirira had earlier visited Rubavu and Bugaruro sectors in Rutsiro to see how the ministry could permanently wipe out the cholera outbreaks in the sectors.

"We have increased ability of the local hospitals to address cholera problems by providing enough drugs but the main solution depends on people themselves. There is need for residents to understand the dangers of consuming un-boiled water,” he said.

Unlike Ebola, which recently broke out in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, cholera is a relatively easy disease to cure, but is very contagious and can be lethal within a short about mof time if not treated properly.

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