From November 2009 to May 2010, health measures across the Province will be in place to combat the expected high case-load of children with diarrhoea. The provincial health department in conjunction with the City of Cape Town will establish an integrated system of community- and facility-based interventions aimed at preventing and treating diarrhoea during the annual peak season.
Diarrhoeal disease is especially prevalent during summer when infection spreads fast through increased fly infestation and food and water contamination. If a child with severe diarrhoea is immediately given the proper care and treatment, he or she can recover completely in a few days. But every summer many children get very sick and some of them die. Prevalence is particularly high in areas where there are shared water and sanitation facilities. The 'Hotspot' areas in the Cape Town Metropole where the most cases of fatal diarrhoea were reported for the previous summer were identified as Gugulethu, Nyanga, Phillipi, Browns Farm, Khayelitsha, Delft, Bloekombos, Wallacedene, Langa and Joe Slovo.
Steps taken by the Western Cape Department of Health to address the prevention and management of diarrhoea:
Thousands of Community Health Workers, Health Promoters, Environmental Health practitioners, NGOs and volunteers will be deployed to interact directly with community members.
Interventions at Primary Health Care facilities include:
Sithembiso Magubane
Principal Communications Officer: District Health Services & Programmes
Tel: 021 483 9981
Cell: 073 662 5482
Mark van der Heever
Deputy Director: Communications
Tel: 021 483 3716
Cell: 073 453 6823