Evaluation of factors that influence Reoccurrence of Cholera epidemics in Bwera Hospital, Kasese District

Abstract

Cholera is an acute enteric infection characterised by sudden onset of profuse, painless watery diarrhoea and vomiting. Transmission of the disease is by faecal-oral route and from man to man via faecal contaminated water, ingestion of contaminated foods and drinks, and bottle feeding in infants. Globally, an estimated 1.4 to 4.3 million cholera cases and 28,000 to 142,000 cholera related deaths occur every year and the highest deaths rates occur in developing countries. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing reoccurrence of cholera outbreaks in Bwera hospital-Kasese district, Uganda. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional where quantitative strategy was applied on health workers and households within Bwera hospital. The study targeted 73 respondents; random sampling procedure was used. Three broad themes were based on to obtain results namely; sources of water for home use, environmental sanitation and the role of climate change. It emerged that water was mainly collected from unprotected sources using rudimentary methods and it was made safe by boiling. Hand washing was seen as a common practice done though occasionally. Generally solid wastes were poorly managed including human waste and reinforcing reforestation was seen as a remedy to avert effects of climate change. The commonest source of water for home consumption was from open water surfaces mainly rivers/streams. Boiling was seen as one of the commonest methods of making water safe for home consumption but the numbers of house hold that boils water are very few thereby making them prone to infection. Washing hands was the commonest practice especially before eating but still some children do ignore washing of their hands before eating if their caretakers are not around them; however, it was not consistently after visiting latrine. Poor waste disposal was seen present in the communities whereby bushes and river banks were seen as places where human waste is deposited. Keywords: Cholera, Deaths, Households, Bwera hospital, contaminated Water.