Cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea
Photo: Krissy Nicholson/OxfamAUS
Since late 2009, we've responded to Papua New Guinean communities affected by cholera outbreaks in the Sepik region and, most recently, in Port Moresby, where the number of people diagnosed with the disease topped 900. Oxfam acted quickly to contain the outbreak, and we were able to wind down our response by October 2010.
What we did
Our staff on the ground partnered with the National Red Cross and the Provincial Department of Health to contain the disease in Port Moresby’s village areas. We conducted health promotion campaigns, ensuring people were practicing good hygiene to contain the spread of the disease.
The cholera outbreak first hit communities in PNG in mid-August 2009. This included the Angoram and Murik Lakes districts on the Sepik River in late 2009 – the largest river system in Papua New Guinea – in East Sepik province. More than 3,000 cases of cholera have been recorded since then in five different provinces, with Port Moresby being hit in May 2010. Oxfam has conducted three cholera responses since October 2009 reaching over 19,000 people.
In April 2011, Oxfam – in partnership with the PNG Health Department – aired community service announcements on television to educate the public about cholera prevention. Endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) office in PNG, the adverts feature Oxfam-trained hygiene promoters and volunteer village-based hygiene workers demonstrating simple cholera prevention techniques such as washing hands and boiling water.
Oxfam PNG country representative Dennis Uba says community-based hygiene promotion messages seem to be particularly effective at raising awareness. “These community service announcements on national television will help us bring the cholera prevention message to a much bigger audience – and prevent further spread of this devastating disease.”
Watch the advertisement below:
Men constructing a temporary rainwater collection tank for the cholera-affected community in Moim Village in East Sepik Province of PNG. Photo: Jennifer
Worthington/OxfamAUS
Cholera in the East Sepik
A World Health Organization specialist participated in an assessment of the East Sepik area in November 2009 and reported acute water, sanitation and hygiene needs, including a lack of access to clean drinking water. Many of the communities are isolated and have to rely on dirty water from the river for drinking and washing – there is no special area for washing and people often also use the river as a toilet.
In order to stop the water-borne disease from recurring, people need access to safe water supplies and an awareness of good hygiene and sanitation practices.
Sepik River Photo: Jennifer Worthington/OxfamAUS
Oxfam assisted over 3,000 households comprising the worst-affected and most vulnerable families by:
- Constructing emergency rainwater catchments for a source of clean water in a number of villages
- Distributing hygiene kits including soap, bucket, jerry cans and oral rehydration sachets
- Training locals in hygiene promotion
Our goal is to make sure that people have access to safe, sufficient and emergency water supplies, and an awareness of adequate hygiene practices.
You can help
By donating to our International Crisis Fund you will ensure that people, like those in Papua New Guinea, have access to clean and safe water supplies.
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