Alarm as 7 people, including 4 children, die of Cholera in Tana River

Seven people, among them four children under the age of five years, have died in Madogo, Tana River County, following an outbreak of Cholera.

Another 20 people are currently undergoing treatment at the Madogo Health facility.

So far, 196 cases have been confirmed in the area but the number is expected to surge according to the Ministry of Health, which on Tuesday issued a health alert to local healthcare facilities in 11 different counties following increased cases of the killer disease in the areas.

The counties are; Kiambu, Nairobi, Muranga, Kajiado, Nakuru, Machakos, Garissa, Meru, Nyeri, Wajir and Uasin Gishu.

The disturbing sounds of children crying as their parents watch and wail has been the order of the day for the past three weeks in the Madogo area due to the surging number of Cholera-related deaths.

For Ralia Bodhole, a resident of Madogo ward, it is like rubbing salt to a raw wound.

She lost her first born child of two years and nine months on Wednesday morning to the killer disease; and just as she was preparing to bury him, her one-year-old child fell ill to the virus and was rushed to the Madogo health facility for treatment.

"I have brought one of my children here for treatment; my other child has already died," Bodhole told Citizen TV.

Dejected as she is, her only prayer is that her only remaining child will get well.

With every passing minute, more and more patients are being admitted to the facility with a majority being children under the age of five.

"Currently, we are witnessing a Cholera outbreak within our locality which is claiming the lives of children," Ken Kiprono, the area's Clinical Officer said.

"A lot of our children are diarrhoering and vomiting even though they have not eaten anything," Hamido Hassan, a resident, added.

Of concern is that the numbers could rise and more lives lost due to the cultural beliefs.

Most residents have resorted to traditional herbs to cure the disease while only rushing their sick ones when it is too little too late.

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with non-governmental organizations, has began sensitisation and support programs to help the communities mitigate and prevent more deaths and further spread of the disease.

"If we don’t put interventions at the community level then we will lose a lot of lives," Dr. Ayako Japheth said.