Agency
The Kitgum District Cholera Taskforce has indefinitely banned the use of water from Akado Dam in Lugwar Parish, Labongo Akwang Sub-county, following an outbreak of cholera in the area.
The district has so far recorded six confirmed cases of cholera, with health authorities suspecting Akado Dam as the likely source of contamination.
The first case involved a 10-year-old boy from Lobene East Village, with five additional cases reported since.
All are believed to have stemmed from poor sanitation practices, including the use of water from the dam, which is shared by both residents and animals.
Jimmy Ssegawa Ebil, the Kitgum Resident District Commissioner and Chair of the Cholera District Taskforce, said water samples from Akado Dam have been dispatched to the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Kampala for analysis.
Ebil says the ban on Akado Dam water use is a precautionary measure to prevent further spread of cholera in the District and urged residents to cooperate with health officials and adhere to all guidelines to contain the outbreak.
Titus Komakech, the District Surveillance Focal Person, reported that all the patients admitted to Kitgum General Hospital have responded well to treatment and have been discharged.
