Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Cholera outbreak in PNG’s north worsens

Posted at 05:55 on 23 December, 2009 UTC

A cholera outbreak affecting three provinces in Papua New Guinea has worsened.

The illness was first detected in Morobe province, but has since spread to Madang and East Sepik, infecting more than 1,400 people and claiming more than 30 lives.

“Voitek Asztabski from the organisation , Medecins Sans Frontieres, says his team is currently concentrating its efforts on the remote East Sepik.”

“Our priority right now is East Sepik river. Along the river we see new cases coming. The accumulative numbers are 349 with 8 deaths over there. MSF set up four CTU cholera treatment units in the area.”

Voitek Asztabski says 477 people are being treated against cholera in Morobe’s main hospital, and 659 people are receiving treatment at a cholera unit in Madang town.