To ensure that the people of Kadavu have the right information to combat leptospirosis, typhoid, dengue fever and diarrhoea (LTDD), a team from the Fiji Red Cross Society is undertaking a comprehensive awareness campaign in 45 villages on the island.
According to the Health Ministry, there was an outbreak of leptospirosis on the island last month, with 31 laboratory-confirmed cases reported by the Kadavu Medical Subdivision since the beginning of this year.
The majority of these cases are in the 10 to 19 age group, with all of the i-Taukei ethnicity.
The Fiji Red Cross Society are conducting house-to-house visits with the volunteers disseminating vital information and promoting preparedness for these diseases.
The Society says the house-to-house approach ensures that everyone has access to crucial knowledge and resources.
The Health Ministry says a surge support team was mobilised to assist the Kadavu Subdivisional Outbreak Response Team in implementing their prevention and control activities in response towards the leptospirosis outbreak, which includes raising awareness on leptospirosis and information on health and other communicable diseases, conducting environmental risk assessments including assessment of animals, water sources and sanitation facilitates in the affected communities, including the issuance of nuisance abatement notices, upscaling and continuous surveillance in hot-spot and at-risk communities – including vector surveillance and distribution of rat baits to households.
