Wet season posing risk of water-borne diseases, says report

The National National

THE prolonged wet season has brought problems for the Highlands, Mamose and Papua regions, with the risk of water-borne diseases, according to a report from Jimmy Gomoga, the acting director of the National Weather Service.
The report on the February-April wet season outlook suggests:

  • That Southern region is to have an above-normal rainfall, with high risk of flooding, and high risk of water-borne diseases.
  • That Mamose and Highlands will have normal wet-season rainfall with the risk of flooding, a high risk of landslides for the Highlands and a high risk of water-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue.

Chief emergency medicine staff for Port Moresby General Hospital Dr Sam Yockopua advised
people to be aware of water and food-borne diseases during the wet season.
Yockopua said food and water-borne diseases were illness caused by drinking contaminated water that contained pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, virus etc.) or food that was not clean or not prepared well. He said food and water borne disease caused diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
He said people must take preventive measures like good environmental management by flushing or discarding any stool in the the toilet and cleaning the surrounding areas using hot water and detergent.