An expert on infectious diseases has urged the government to provide clean public toilets and potable drinking water to address the rising incidence of cholera in the country.
Dr. Mary Ann Bunyi, former president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, in light of a Department of Health (DOH) report showing that there were 3,729 reported cholera cases since last January 2022, indicating a 282 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021.
“I hope the government could provide a good structure for the public water system, I hope all water facilities are chlorinated, and I hope they could also provide a proper structure for toilets so that we can improve sanitation,” Bunyi said in a public briefing.
Bunyi also called on the government to engage with communities and encourage people to clean their own surroundings to mitigate cholera infections.
Based on DOH’s latest data, most of the cholera cases this year occurred in the Eastern Visayas, Davao region, and Caraga.
However, 258 cases were recorded from August 28 to September 4 alone, and most of which came from Eastern Visayas, Bicol Region, and Western Visayas.
Asked why cholera infections were prevalent in these regions, Bunyi said that it may be due to access to contaminated water and poor sanitation.
“There are many communities that still use deep wells, hand water pumps, and even rivers as their source of drinking water,” she said.
“If their toilets or latrines are not clean, it may be the source of cholera infection,” she said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera is an “extremely virulent” disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea due to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
This infection affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.
Bunyi called on the public to frequently wash their hands with soap, boil their drinking water, and clean their comfort rooms to avoid the risk of cholera infection.