THE Enga provincial health adviser and the Wabag hospital have been directed by Health Minister Sasa Zibe, to conduct further investigations into the outbreak of typhoid in two high schools in the province as reported in the media.
Mr Zibe was not happy over a report on the front page of the Post-Courier on Sept 4, stating that 400 students had been hit by typhoid.
He was disappointed to learn from senior health department staff, provincial health authorities and the management of Wabag Secondary School that they did not know of any typhoid outbreak of that magnitude.
“To get as many as 400 cases in any one or even two institutions such as boarding schools is definitely a major outbreak which requires the urgent response from both the province concerned and the Department of Health,” he said.
“Typhoid has been an endemic disease in all five Highlands provinces since the late 1970s and is not new for provincial health authorities to treat several cases from time to time.”
Health authorities and the school’s management have been directed to check hospital records to see whether any typhoid cases were treated from the two schools in the last three months.
He cautioned the media to be responsible in reporting on health issues that affect people’s lives and not to cause panic that was damaging to the overall health service delivery.

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