07 February - Health - Western Cape Health Dept intensifies diarrhoea campaign

In today’s show, we were joined on the line by Sithembiso Magubane – from the Western Cape Department of Health. During December 2010, the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health put measures in place to reduce the high case load of children with diarrhoea in the province. According to the Department, their action plan to combat diarrhoea will continue until April this year. During this period, the Department has and will implement measures to optimally manage children with Diarrhoea. The Department in collaboration with the City of Cape Town and community based health organizations has developed an integrated strategy to deal with the seasonal surges of diarrhoea in especially 'hot-spot' areas. Health MEC, Theuns Botha, has urged parents to use the opportunities and the services offered at community health centres. Take your children to these facilities as soon as there are signs of diarrhoea. The hotspots in the Cape Town Metropole where most cases of fatal diarrhoea were reported the previous summer are Gugulethu, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Delft, Bloekombos, Wallacedene, Langa, Du Noon, Imizamo Yethu, Crossroads and Brown's farm. For more information visit your nearest community health care centre.