Good hygiene habits stressed for Xmas

By ALISON ANIS
HEALTH Department’s public health executive manager Enoch Posanau has stressed the importance of proper hygiene during the festive season.
Noting the recent outbreak of cholera in Western and Gulf, he said yesterday that the movement of people in and out of NCD should be monitored during the remaining weeks of this year as they celebrate Christmas and New Year.
Posanau urged people to practise good hygiene in food preparations as they celebrate in large numbers.
“People need to be aware of the reasons of the outbreak and start practising basic hygiene. They must wash hands before handling food and preparing food for gatherings and they must have access to good clean water.
 “The key message that we need to tell them, especially at this time of the festive season, is that when there would be lot of parties, there would be increasing movement of people from one place to another,” he said.
Posanau added that everyone should be aware of the basic information on prevention of the epidemic and make it their business to teach their families and communities on basic hygiene to avoid getting cholera.
“The department has done its part in creating awareness on the epidemic as well inviting and offering training to people on the ground to educate their communities and get them to prepare for any outbreak.
“The onus is now on the community members to take ownership of the knowledge imparted and apply that in their day-to-day living.
“Cholera is spread when people do not practise proper hygiene, so it must become an individual habit for everyone to ensure that they not come into contact with anyone with cholera or by avoiding big gatherings,” he said.