By Hou Akot Hou
The health authority in Aweil West County of Northern Bahr-El Ghazal has raised alarm on bloody diarrhea infection that has affected at least 18 community members in the area.
According to the health official on Wednesday, hot sunshine and hunger have made people to eat unclean raw fruits in order to survive, and that has led to the rise of the diarrhea infection.
Lual Khamis, the health official in charge of the Nyamlel Primary healthcare center (PHCC) in the county said during an interview with No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper that they have admitted 18 patients suffering from bloody infection since Sunday.
“I have done the investigation or diagnosis and the 18 people are suffering from bloody diarrhea and most of the patients said they had eaten foods like mangoes which they eat raw without washing them well. Some of them came in bad conditions,” he said.
However, Khamis said most of the admitted patients are responding well to treatment being undertaken, adding the people are struggling to find what to eat as hunger has engulfed the area.
“The sun is hot and people eat anything at their disposal. Six of these patients are children and were suffering from bloody diarrhea. People should seek treatment in any clinic to save life first before coming here,” Lual cautioned.
He urged people to always get hygiene and never eat anything that come their way.
One of the residents, Angelina Adhieu said most of the women who are cooks who never cover their food, leaving flies just to sit on and then they eat.
“Most of the women uncover their foods. Some sell without covering them. And flies just prey over them. This is a contributing factor to the diarrhea disease,” Angelina examined.
“Kindly take care of the food as it is dry season the diseases are common indeed,” she added.
Diarrhea disease results from eating unclean food which makes the tummy aches and causes stomachache which turns bloody and lose water in the body or causes dehydration.