Just a day after the Kenyan government confirmed the presence of disease outbreaks in the country, residents of Kibera slums are now living in fear of cholera pandemic being experienced in the area.
The heavy rains that are being witnessed in the area have flooded sewage that has since spread to doorsteps. Though not a single case has been reported in the area, health officials and concerned stakeholders have voiced their worries urging that the menace is real owing to poor sanitation.
On Wednesday morning, stagnant sewage along the roadside tunnels extended to the roads releasing a bad stench. Nairobi's slum areas have been living in deplorable environments due to congestion that causes strain on the available social amenities like the toilets, and the heavy rains have just aggravated the situation. Children are the most vulnerable to sickness as they go around playing in roadside pools of water that contain untreated waste sewage.
Parents are, therefore, encouraged to observe good hygiene during this season so as to avert possible cholera outbreak or any other waterborne diseases. They have also been urged to ensure they get access to clean drinking water avoiding those from boreholes as they might have been contaminated by flowing sewage.
The acting director of Medical services in Kenya, Jackson Kioko had on Wednesday acknowledged that the country was under threat by the outbreaks of Hepatitis A, Cholera, Influenza, and Measles.