Villages facing health problems after flooding

By DALE LUMA
SEVENTEEN villages along the Sepik River in the Ambunti-Dreikikir district of East Sepik are experiencing health problems following recent flooding.
Chairman of the Sepik Wetland Management Initiative Jerry Wana told The National that some villagers were suffering from waterborne diseases.
“They are having diarrhoea, dysentery and other waterborne diseases,” he said.
“Because of the rise in water level, most of the pit-toilets have become flooded and the water has become contaminated.
“The tap water that people use for cooking and drinking are underwater and they are using that unclean water which is causing health issues.”
Wana said 17 villages in the Ambunti area were being affected starting from Avatip to May River.
Plans are underway to have a team of health workers from Wewak and Ambunti sent to the villages to provide medical services to the villagers, according to Wana.
“The medical teams will be split into two groups. One will be sent to the Ambunti LLG (local level government) and the other to the Tunap LLG,” Wana said.
He said communities were not only having health issues but economic and safety problems as well due to cash crops covered by the floods.