2024-05-08 06:44:51
(ANSA) – NAIROBI, 07 MAY – In addition to destruction and death, floods and inundations in Kenya risk bringing serious diseases to the country, including malaria and cholera.
The alarm comes from Doctors Without Borders (MSF). “Flood-related risks go beyond immediate damage and displacement. Waterborne diseases, such as cholera, and mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, are a significant concern,” the chief writes on the organization’s website MSF mission in Kenya, Hajir Elyas.
The Kenyan Ministry of Health has activated the National Center for Health Emergency Operations. “In response to the escalating crisis due to heavy rains and flooding across Kenya, the Ministry of Health has quickly initiated comprehensive measures to mitigate the serious health risks posed by the ongoing natural disaster,” said Deputy Minister Mary Muthoni.
The government has already distributed almost 6 million mosquito nets to citizens. “The problem is much more serious in urban areas with waste disposal problems, when water-borne diseases become a time bomb,” Kiambu County Health Minister Elias Mwangi said.
To date, there have been 230 confirmed victims of the floods in Kenya, with over 200 thousand evacuated, as reported by Kenya News Agency. (HANDLE).
2024-05-08 06:44:51