27 Jun 2016

The coordinator of the District Health Management Team (DHMT) in Francistown, Dr Gobezie Solomon, has confirmed that out of 1 849 screened students in Francistown East, 43 were diagnosed with bilharzia.

Dr Solomon confirmed this in an interview recently.He explained that all the students who tested positive were boys.

He noted that the discovery came after students came for consultations at the clinic one after another showing symptoms of bilharzia.

Dr Solomon said following the high number of the registered students suspected to be diagnosed with the disease, they called a parent teachers meeting at Maradu and Selepa primary schools.

During the address, students said they sometimes went for fishing with their parents and then ended up playing games, which led them inton swimming and drinking the river water.

Dr Solomon said bloody urine was one of the common symptoms of bilharzia showed by the students.

He said they had started the health education in schools and were planning to screen all students who were involved in the contaminated water. Ends