Flood-Borne Disease Leptospirosis Kills 99 In Philippines


Chioma Umeha

A top government health official on Friday sounded the alarm over the rising number of deaths arising from a flood-borne disease called leptospirosis that already claimed the lives of 99 Filipinos as of June, the Gulftiday.ae has reported.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the 99 fatalities came from the total 1,030 leptospirosis cases reported nationwide from January to June this year and represented a 41 percent increase from the total recorded for the same period in 2017.
Duque attributed the surge in the cases nationwide to floods due to weeks of unabated heavy rain as well as the huge piles of uncollected garbage not only in Metro Manila but also in the country’s big towns and cities.
“The 41 percent increase…compared to the same period last year is a cause for alarm,” Duque said, explaining the disease is incurred mainly by people wading into floodwaters carrying the bacteria from wastes and urine from animals, particularly rats.
“But we don’t see much of a problem because our (government) hospitals are capable of of managing the cases,” he assured, adding the disease carries symptoms similar to those of flu like high fever, body ache and diarrhea.
Metro Manila, composed of 15 towns and cities with a total population of close to 12 million, accounted for nine of the 99 leptospirosis deaths reported in June, with the other regions also suffering a surge in cases in the other regions like Caraga, Zamboanga Peninsula and Davao in Mindanao as well as Western Visayas, according to Duque.
Dr. Rose Marie Liquete, the chief of the state-run National Kidney and Transplant Institute based in suburban Quezon City, Metro Manila confirmed Duque’s statement as she revealed that they were forced to convert their gymnasium into an “emergency ward” to accommodate the rising number of leptospirosis patients.
Health experts warned that a person afflicted with even simple skin abrasion can be infected by the leptospirosis bacteria by wading unprotected into the floodwaters like failing to wear rubber boots.
Experts also suggested that people who have done so could help prevent from incurring the disease by thorough washing of their feet with soap and water
State weathermen reported that in June alone, many parts of the country including Metro Manila went under water due to the monsoon season as well as weather disturbances that brought unabated heavy rains, especially to low-lying areas.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Insurgency: Nigerian Army Clears 25 More Children Of Links With Armed Groups, Says UNICEF

Image
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said Thursday that 25 more children had been freed from Nigerian Army administrative custody having been cleared of suspected links with armed groups. With this number, a total of 44 children had been released this year, bringing the number to 1,627 children since 2016, that is four years now, the UN agency for children has said. UNICEF which announced this in a press statement signed by its Communication Specialist, Dr. Geoffrey Njoku, specifically said, “Twenty-three boys and two girls were released today from Nigerian Army administrative custody after being cleared of suspected ties with armed groups. This brings the number of children released this year to 44,” it added. It bemoaned the discrimination, deprivation and cruelty which the children have suffered. “These are children taken away from their families and communities, deprived of their childhood, education, health-care, and of the chance to grow up in a safe and enabling envir
Read more

Limited Information Frustrates Young Women From Using Family Planning

Image
BY CHIOMA UMEHA, Awareness and proper understanding of family planning has been recognised to reduce maternal death among young women of reproductive age between 15 and 49. Data on Sexual Reproductive Health outcomes in Nigeria stresses the importance of focusing on adolescents. At 576 maternal death per 1,000 live births, Nigeria accounts for 14 percent of the global burden of maternal mortality (NDHS 2013/WHO 2014). Global evidence shows that young girls bear a higher burden of maternal mortality and morbidity. Data shows that the average age at sexual debut is roughly 15 years of age among adolescent mothers in Nigeria. (NDHS 2003, 2008, 2013). The National adolescent fertility rate in Nigeria is 122 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. In the North Western States, it is as high as 171 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. To stem this, the government of Lagos State with support from partners and other donor agencies has put in place youth-friendly he
Read more

PSN President Commissions ACPN National Secretariat

Image
Chioma Umeha History was made among the community pharmacists recently, as the national body of the Association of Community Pharmacists (ACPN) inaugurated its National Secretariat at Ikeja, Lagos State. The event was graced by many notable personalities in the pharmaceutical sector including, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) who commissioned the befitting edifice. Other notable guests at the event were – Dr. UNO Uwaga, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for ACPN; Pharm. Bukky George, the Managing Director of Healthplus, among many former presidents of different pharmaceutical bodies. Pharm. Yakasai stated that it was a thing of joy for him to see this development come to light. He said that he is ‘a proud father’ as the inauguration of the building was a “testimony of when you have a proud son who can carry out directives.” He described the secretariat as “A home for all pharmacists across board.”
Read more