The number of children
known to have died in the current outbreak of diarrhoea in Swaziland / eSwatini
has risen to 11, the charity WaterAid reported.
This was revealed at a
workshop on hygiene held at Pigg’s Peak.
WaterAid Eswatini Research
Manager Ncamiso Mhlanga said the main contribution to these deaths were poor
sanitation methods, mainly at home or day care centres where these children
stay.
Swazi Director of Health
Services Vusi Magagula reported in early August 2019 that six children had died
over a period of four days and about another 1,000 others had been treated for the
infection caused by the rota virus.
Deaths from this preventable
disease occur in the kingdom every year. But the government, ruled by King
Mswati III as the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa, is broke and
continually fails to tackle to problem.
Diarrhoea is a
bowel infection often caused by contaminated water or food. According to the website of the Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention,
a 25-pack of one dose vials of rotavirus vaccine to immunise against diarrhoea
costs US70.49 (E1,050) at commercial rates. Typically a child needs two doses
to be immunised.
Swaziland is broke and
public services are grinding to a halt. All kinds of medicines are in short supply in public hospitals and clinics because the
government has failed to pay suppliers. Nursing posts and other vacancies
remain unfilled as part of a government policy to cut its wages bill. At least
400 qualified nurses are unemployed, Dr Magagula recently told a
meeting of pensioners in Mbabane.
See also
Six children die in
Swaziland in diarrhoea outbreak. Vaccines short since government has not paid
suppliers
Swaziland nurses picket, drugs run out, lives put
at risk as government fails to pay suppliers
https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2018/08/swaziland-nurses-picket-drugs-run-out.html
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