{"id":13104,"date":"2022-03-02T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/?p=13104"},"modified":"2022-03-04T11:35:42","modified_gmt":"2022-03-04T11:35:42","slug":"diarrhea-ravages-drought-stricken-guji-borana-zones-in-oromia-officials-say-medicines-water-purifying-chemicals-short","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/?p=13104","title":{"rendered":"Diarrhea Ravages Drought-Stricken Guji, Borana Zones in Oromia \u2013 Officials Say Medicines, Water Purifying Chemicals Short"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Source: Addis Standard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 1, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents of Guji, West Guji and Borana zones of Oromia regional state told Addis Standard<\/em> that diarrhea outbreak was ravaging many households in several areas. However, local and region health officials who spoke to Addis Standard<\/em> said there was shortage of water purifying chemicals and medicines to filter the water being delivered by water trucks, which is contributing to increased number of diarrhea cases but it has not reached the level an outbreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guji and Borana zones are two of the eight zones in Oromia that are hit hard by lack of food and water due to the current drought, which has left close to 7 million Ethiopians<\/a> in need of food aid in Ethiopia, according to the UN. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health and Ethiopian Public Health Institute, along with the regional health bureau, are working to respond to the crisis and have launched an immediate investigation, the federal Ministry of Health said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boru Dullecha, a resident of Negelle Borena city in Guji zone, told Addis Standard<\/em> that four of his family members were getting treatment for diarrhea. \u201cThe problems that are brought into Guji zone as the result of drought are countless, it\u2019s becoming a threat to our lives,\u201d Boru said, adding that \u201cabsence of appropriate response from different stakeholders worsening the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, \u201cbad smell and water pollution caused by the bodies of dead animals have put the health of the society in danger. Trucks that used to serve us water deliveries have now stopped due to security issues. Many patients with diarrhea are traveling on donkeys, since there is no transportation service in these areas. In Guji, no one is aware about the health situation; we requested officials but couldn\u2019t get the response.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locals who spoke to\u00a0Addis Standard<\/em>\u00a0say it amounts to an outbreak and it is severe in rural villages, where \u201cpeople use to drink any kind of water from any source\u201d Boru further said. He believes that the communities couldn\u2019t have been affected this much \u201cif there was enough access to [water purifying] chemicals to filter the water. Now, the number of patients is continuously increasing from day to day, specially children, who are suffering a lot. We need immediate solution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Residents queuing around water truck in Gooroo Doolaa Worda in Guji zone. Picture: Gooroo Doolaa Communication Bureau<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gumi Godana, a resident of western Guji zone, Bule Hora town, shared Boru\u2019s frustration, and stated that the problem was worse in rural areas. \u201cMany cattle are dead due to illness. The water is polluted when the dead bodies of these cattle are swept into it. Since there is no other source of water other than this, the residents use the same polluted water, causing the outbreak in many districts.\u201d Gumi says the outbreak is spreading fast and wide, and that \u201cmany children and women were admitted to health centers. But there is no attempt to filter the water by chemicals yet. We have a great reservation on the silence [from authorities] while many people lost their lives due to famine, and now this disease is killing many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guyo Tulle of Borena zone, Wachille district, is another resident who corroborated the widespread presence of the diarrhea outbreak in the areas. Lack of clean water and shortage of food are still the main reasons for the death in that district. \u201cOne day a small downpour of rain added debris of dead bodies of cattle to the water, but the communities continued to drink the same water because there is no other choice. Even the water trucks serve this polluted water to the public. The problem has now changed and dozens of people are being treated on a daily basis,\u201d Guyo told\u00a0Addis Standard.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before this happened, one or two patients were admitted per week. Now about 70 patients come to the healthcare centers daily. We are out of medicine stock that could have lasted a year under normal circumstances.<\/p>Boru Bule<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Boru Bule, who organizes health care facility support in Wachille district, said that \u201cthe number of patients with severe diarrhea being admitted to health care centers was increasing from day to day. Before this happened, one or two patients were admitted per week. Now about 70 patients come to the healthcare centers daily. We are out of medicine stock that could have lasted a year under normal circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Boru, managing the diarrhea outbreak is not beyond the capacity of healthcare professionals, but they are running out of medication. \u201cThe shortage of medications can be detrimental to the lives of diarrhea patients. People who didn\u2019t make it to the hospital have died from this, Diarrhea is fatal if not treated,\u201d Boru said and pleaded with governmental and non government organizations to provide medicines as well as water purifying chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arero Bicicha, the administrator of Yabelo General Hospital, on his part told Addis Standard <\/em>that the hospital has been receiving cases of diarrhea that were referred to it from local health centers. \u201cHowever, we have more cases of malnutrition than diarrhea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stated that malnutrition due to the drought was making the peoples\u2019 immunity weaker; and all the domestic animals that perished due to the severity of the drought remain laying around, exposing the local community to all sorts of disease. The number of people coming to the hospital due to various diseases, not only diarrhea, is also increasing, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are facing shortage of medicine, [because] we are not getting enough supply. Patients admitted to the hospital don\u2019t have enough food to eat; they need medication that enables their body to recover. These patients have a long hospital stay, but we don\u2019t have the medicine that matches the number of patients,\u201d Arero said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are facing shortage of medicine, [because] we are not getting enough supply. Patients admitted to the hospital don\u2019t have enough food to eat;\u00a0they need medication that enables their body to recover. These patients have a long hospital stay, but we don\u2019t have the medicine that matches the number of patients<\/p>Arero Bicicha<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

According him, more than 54 children are receiving treatment at the hospital for malnutrition. Women and elderly are also affected by malnutrition and other complications. Many have lost their lives to drought induced health problems, he said. He underlined the severity of the situation and pleaded for a lasting solution. \u201cWe plead to concerned bodies to provide a lasting solution. Both patients with malnutrition and diarrhea require treatment, but the latter is fatal and requires immediate attention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Molu Dima, head of Borana zone health office, has admitted to the increasing case of diarrhea but refutes it was an outbreak. \u201cIt has not reached an outbreak level yet,\u201d he said, but admitted that \u201cbecause of water shortage people are forced to consume contaminated water that has exposed the community to diarrhea and other related diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Molu reveals diarrhea cases have increased in Dillo, Wachille, Dire Miyo, Taltallee and other districts of the Borana zone, and complained about shortage of medicines, \u201cThe problem is aggravated by shortage of medicine and lack of water purifying chemicals,\u201d he said, adding \u201cthe corpses of animals that perished [due to the drought] is complicating the situation further\u201d. At the moment, local authorities are mobilizing the community to bury the remains to alleviate the problem, Molu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of diarrhea cases have increased but this is not an outbreak. The drought affected areas are susceptible to such diseases, so we focus on preventing death<\/p>Abera Botore<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Molu expressed his fear of catastrophe a prolonged drought could bring, and explained the situation to the delegation led by the Minister of Health. Dr. Lia Tadesse, who visited Borana recently. \u201cIf the drought continues like this, the number of people with diarrhea and other related diseases will increase. We have explained this to the delegation stressing on the importance of supplying medicine and water purifying chemicals and the delegation promised to provide it in a very short time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abera Botore, the deputy head of the Oromia health bureau, also admitted that reports received by the local health bureaus show a significant increase in diarrhea cases. Abera attributed the increase to water contamination. According to him the water distributed using water trucks in several areas was not treated due to shortage of purifying chemicals. However, unlike the local community, he too refused to call it an outbreak. \u201cThe number of diarrhea cases have increased but this is not an outbreak. The drought affected areas are susceptible to such diseases, so we focus on preventing deaths,\u201d he said. He also refuted reports of death from diarrhea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A picture posted by Dr. Lia Tadesse after her visit to Borana showing corpses of dead cattle laying around a field.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On 22 February, officials from the Ministry of Health, including Minister Lia Tadesse, and the Ministry of Agriculture, WHO Ethiopia, FAO Ethiopia & UNICEF Ethiopia, jointly visited the drought affected Borena Zone. \u201cDuring the visit, the delegation discussed with zonal leaders on the emergency response and gaps for further intervention, & handed over 31 metric tons of emergency medical supplies from WHO Ethiopia,\u201d\u00a0Dr. Lia said<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source: Addis Standard March 1, 2022 Residents of Guji, West Guji and Borana zones of Oromia regional state<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[7,32],"class_list":["post-13104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-addis-standard","tag-english"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",720,715,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",300,298,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",640,636,false],"large":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",640,636,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",720,715,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",720,715,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",579,575,false],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",413,410,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",600,596,false],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/axumawian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/1-33.jpg",100,100,false]},"author_info":{"info":["Axumawian Media"]},"category_info":"News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13104"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13108,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13104\/revisions\/13108"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/axumawian.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}