The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is urging the public to take necessary precautionary and preventative health measures following the current rainy weather patterns that the country is facing.
Minister for Health & Medical Services Hon Jone Usamate said that people must refrain from swimming or wading in flooded waters to avoid waterborne illnesses.
“Failure to do so can cause harm and even loss of lives. Taking complete responsibility of our actions will prevent disasters,” Minister Usamate said.
Minister Usamate added “We urge people to refrain from wading or swimming in flooded waters and avoid contracting diseases such as Leptospirosis. Consuming dirty/contaminated water can also cause Typhoid.”
In addition, all drinking water must be boiled, particularly with possible water supply disruptions and flash flooding which can cause contamination. Boiling water prior to consumption is important as this will decrease the chances of contracting waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A.
All manmade receptacles such as empty containers, white goods, drum and tyres should be discarded properly to avoid creating mosquito breeding sites. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and spread diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
“I urge you all to keep your surroundings clean and free of any such containers or receptacles. The recent Fight the Bite- Clean up Fiji campaign helped reduce the number of mosquito borne diseases. With a proactive approach we can continue to keep these numbers low”, Minister Usamate said.
As of 3rd August 2016 a total of 225 cases of Typhoid, 430 Leptospirosis, 623 Dengue, 41 Chikunguyna and 34 Zika cases have been recorded by the Ministry of Health.