Guinea Bissau

Authorities try to stem cholera outbreak

Article published on the 2008-09-04 Latest update 2008-09-05 10:59 TU

Crossing the river in Quinhamel, Biombo, Guinea Bissau
(Photo:Colleen Taugher)

Cholera cases have skyrocketed in Guinea Bissau over the past few months, with 3,600 cases and 80 deaths. The UN Children's Fund, Unicef, fears that more may follow. The water-borne epidemic has particularly hit the regions of Quintara in the south and Biombo, in the west.

Government officials, Unicef, the Workd Health Organisation (WHO) and aid organisation Doctors Without Borders are working to try to stem the outbreak, which usually starts every year around the rainy season.

Part of the problem is that even the water sources in the capital are tainted, according to Silvia Luciani, Unicef representative based in Bissau. A local reservoir supplies about 20 per cent of the population in town, while the other 80 per cent get most of their drinking water from the wells. 

Many of the older pipes are broken down, so "even tap water in households is not potable water," said Luciani. The government is working to disinfect the reservoir.

"There two major things to do to prevent cholera: hand washing before touching food and after being in the latrines, and the other one is to disinfect the drinking water and the water used to wash vegetables with a few drops of bleach," said Luciani.