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BUJUMBURA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- In the aftermath of the cholera outbreak, two weeks ago, in Burundi's northwestern Cibitoke province, two government ministers Wednesday visited the area and announced that stakeholders have committed to combating the epidemic.
"Since the outbreak of cholera some two weeks ago, we did our best to treat the victims. No one died of the disease. However, we have today (Wednesday) at least 13 new cases of cholera patients, which makes a total of 159 cases since the outbreak of cholera for about two weeks," Burundian Public Health and AIDS Control Minister Dr Josiane Nijimbere said after visiting Rugombo health center where cholera patients are treated.
According to her, several cholera patients were successfully treated and have already gone back home.
She indicated that all stakeholders in the fight against cholera have deployed their efforts to combat the epidemic.
Nijimbere said that she had gone to Rugombo along with Energy and Mining Minister Come Manirakiza as well as other stakeholders in the fight against cholera like the Burundi Red Cross.
Nijimbere said, "Residents in this area do not drink clean water and many of them do not have latrines."
She called on them to respect hygiene rules and to drink clean water.
Manirakiza promised that the country's Water and Electricity Company (REGIDESO), in collaboration with the Burundi Red Cross, is to increase the volume of clean drinking water to Rugombo and its surroundings in an effort to combat cholera.
Residents in Rugombo town face shortages of potable water and drink unclean water from the River Rusizi and other small rivers of the area.
For a long time, several localities in the western part of Burundi have suffered from serious shortages of clean drinking water and citizens living in poor neighborhoods drink unclean water from rivers, catching cholera bacteria. Enditem
