09 Oct 2022

Mahalapye Sub-district has registered eight diarrhoea deaths from July 3 to October 1 despite intensified campaigns sensitising the public on how to prevent child diarrhoea deaths.

Mahalapye District Health Management Team (DHMT) principal nursing officer, Ms Cheneso Siku told the District Emergency Operations Centre committee on Friday that most children who died of diarrhoea were brought to health facilities showing no signs of life.

Ms Siku was giving an update on the diarrhoea situation in Mahalapye Sub-district and further noted that to mitigate the situation, they had resolved to open rehydration centres in different health facilities across the sub-district.

She said the highest number of diarrhoea cases were registered at Sefhare hospital with 134 cases, Moko clinic 111 cases, Chadibe clinic 99 cases, Mahalapye District Hospital 75 cases while Mosolotshane and Kudumatse health posts had 66 cases, each.

She encouraged parents and other caretakers of children aged five years and below to continuously practice high levels of hygiene by washing hands regularly before preparing meals.

 This include boiling water before giving it to the children to help kill the Rotavirus which she said had caused the diarrhoea outbreak.

To promote early health-seeking behaviours across the sub-district, Ms Siku noted that Mahalapye DHMT had also come up with morning health talks conducted in health facilities, during kgotla meetings and hiring of Ipelegeng workers.

She said through health education officers, they have also sensitised and mobilised traditional healers, faith healers and faith-based organisations.

 “To further raise awareness and intensify public education, posters about diarrhoea prevention and control were placed around health facilities and shops, while we also have ongoing visits to daycare centres to also observe Infection Prevention and Control practices,” she said.

Ms Siku said their biggest challenge was shortage of Oral Rehydration Salt sachets and transport to conduct adequate home visits. BOPA