This Sunday, health authorities were in several Christian churches in the municipality of Huambo to define a “common front” capable of preventing possible cases of cholera, ANGOP learned
These are twelve teams from the Health sector, who traveled to 36 religious temples, with emphasis on those from the Catholic, Evangelical Congregational in Angola (IECA), United Methodist and Tocoist churches, with the aim of together drawing up an intervention plan community. The initiative also aims to keep the population alert regarding possible cases of cholera in communities, both urban and rural.
On the occasion, the Health Director of the municipality of Huambo, Miguel Balaca, said that the health authorities intend to increasingly involve the church in preventing the disease, with the expectation of raising awareness of more than 2 thousand citizens.
With these actions, he added, the aim is to include churches in preventive programs once morest cholera, so that the majority of the population is more involved in this process, at a time when the Government is boosting the Lobito corridor for economic development.
He explained that the Lobito Corridor connects Angola, above all, the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico, to African countries devastated by the cholera outbreak, such as the Democratic Republics of Congo and Zambia.
He said that the next step will be to maintain contact with traditional authorities, the student community and peasants.
In turn, pastor Adelino Timóteo Mateus, from the Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA), praised the efforts of health authorities in preventing cholera and promised to involve the faithful in the multiplication of primary care, aimed at stopping the spread of the disease.
Catechist Hilário Canganjo, from the Catholic Church, promised to disseminate preventive methods once morest cholera, following learning fundamental primary care and basic techniques for treating the disease, in case people are infected.
Maria da Conceição, a laywoman of the Catholic Church, said that the faithful are now more mobilized and will help prevent possible cases of cholera, by promoting basic sanitation programs in communities, in addition to constant hand hygiene.
It is recalled that the last cases of cholera occurred in 2014, with a record of 134 cases, nine deaths and a fatality rate set at around seven percent, which affected the neighborhoods of Benfica, Macolocolo, São Pedro, Rua do Comércio and Canhe, on the outskirts and outskirts of the city of Huambo.
The health system in the municipality of Huambo is made up of 65 health units, all of which are prepared to deal with possible cases of cholera.
