Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

WHO says Papua New Guinea political leaders must act over cholera

Posted at 21:31 on 23 November, 2009 UTC

The World Health Organisation is warning a cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea has to be taken seriously by the Government.

An outbreak in Morobe has spread to Madang and East Sepik with up to a thousand affected of whom more than 30 have died.

The WHO’s spokesperson in PNG, Dr Eigil Sorensen, says all the provinces need to be prepared.

This includes people being made aware of what they need to do to prevent the spread and clinics stocked with oral rehydration drugs and intravenous fluids.

Dr Sorensen says the outbreak is likely to worsen and could have an economic impact.

“PLAY AUDIO:PNG MEASURES”

“IN:......So I think the Governments need to take this very seriously, both at national and provincial level, and I think that it’s urgently needed that the funds that were approved by the National Executive Council some weeks back need to be released so the provinces can take the proper measures.”

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