The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is concerned with an increase in the number of diarrhoea cases reported from Balevuto, Nukuloa, Nacaci and Toge in Ba.
The Ministry in a statement said it is also aware of allegations that relate to the Water Authority of Fiji’s water source and they are working with WAF in carrying out investigations which include water sources and surrounding inspections and collecting water samples which have been sent to the Fiji CDC lab in Suva.
The current findings indicate that the WAF water supply is not the cause of the increase in diarrhoea cases, and they are running more investigations to ascertain the cause of the reported diarrhoea cases.
The Ministry has also investigated deaths occurring within the same period and so far, their investigation indicate that the deaths are not related to the current outbreak and are due to underlying medical issues.
Members of the public in Balevuto and nearby areas are urged to boil all drinking water and adhere to the best hygiene practices, which include proper handwashing with soap and water before and after meals and after visiting the toilet.
Medical teams are conducting field visits and working from Balevuto Health Centre to do health awareness programs and facilitate the community distribution of Oral Rehydration Salts and water purification tablets.
