Editor’s note

Editor’s note

Dear Colleagues,

Our country received a cholera outbreak alert from the Ministry of Health with 61 cases being reported and confirmed from six (6) counties in October 2022.

The outbreak was traced to have originated from a wedding festival in Kiambu County and was further spread across Kiambu (31), Nairobi (17), Murang’a(1), Kajiado(2), Nakuru(2) and Uasin Gishu(8) counties (MOH, 2022).

According to WHO, cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by eating or drinking food or water that is contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and is an indicator of inequity and lack of social development. Researchers have estimated that every year, there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of cholera, and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths worldwide due to the infection.

It is an extremely serious disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. It takes between 12 hours and 5 days for a person to show symptoms after consuming contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.

As front-line health care workers, let us be vigilant and get vaccinated against Cholera. The vaccine is available at the KNH International Vaccination Centre located at the KPCC Corporate Outpatient Clinic (COC); 1st floor of the Accident and Emergency Department at an affordable cost.

Working hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m.-5p.m.

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Ms. Edel Q. Mwende, Manager, Marketing & Communication Kenyatta National Hospital