on cholera

Cholera is not an airborne disease like meningitis. It is not communicated by breathing in the general vicinity of another person. It is from dirty water. It is from physical contact with another person who has cholera. It is from contact with the diarrhea of a person with cholera. So as long as we touch no one, stay away from the public latrines and drink only the water in our houses, then we should be safe from the epidemic that has seized hold of south and central Karamoja.

There have been epidemics before. About four years ago, there was a meningitis epidemic. I remember very vividly sitting for hours in the clinic ward pinching pieces of cotton off a gargantuan fluff ball and rolling up cotton balls to be used for immunizations. After that day, however, we were all basically quarantined into the mission. Doctors and nurses went to the clinic, we still had morning church, but village bible studies, friendly house visits and evening worship were put on hold. Of course, since cholera is not the same sort of disease as meningitis, such measures need not be taken.

It has been several weeks since the few cases that have been seen were declared an outbreak. The initial scare that had dominated this area first the first two weeks has now died down to an extra careful caution. Truth be told, people around here are far more diligent about washing hands and trying to keep the spread at a minimum these days. Perhaps it is only in the presence of mzungu that they adopt such measures, but seeing as even after such a short time, Nakaale is on the verge of being considered cholera free, I really do believe that people are getting better. People are scared, to tell the truth. They rush to the clinic at the slightest headache sobbing with the fear of cholera. And while sometimes this can be considered annoying and foolhardy, it is a much better practice to adopt in the place of resisting medical treatment until it is too late.

The other day, I was sitting in my house studying when I heard a Karimojong voice speaking over a loud speaker. The voice was yelling a warning to people, telling them not to drink Ngagwe, the locally brewed beer, saying that since it is all drunk from the same pot, the risk of enhancing the spread is high. They also stated that anyone found drinking Ngagwe would be arrested. The following Thursday, Dad was out in a village by the name of Akuyam, and he came across a number of green wheelbarrows that he had never seen there before. His friend from there said that the….people…..had driven in with their trucks, given people wheelbarrows and told them to dig latrines, saying that it will improve sanitation and reduce the spread of cholera. Notice they did not give them shovels, or hoes or anything with which to DIG the latrines.

I really do believe that the sanitation and hygiene around here has gotten better since the outbreak. I was eating lunch with one of my friends and her young daughter and after she had brought out the food, she brought out dish of water and a big thing of soap with which to wash our hands. What before had consisted of a little splashing of water now took minutes of careful scrubbing before rinsing massive soap suds off.

On the other hand, it has also encouraged the buying and consequently drinking of etule, illegal booze. The witch doctors are telling people that it is the only way to cure and prevent cholera. I suppose to an extent, that claim has a little truth in it. An alcohol as strong as that will certainly kill many things in your body, but with the scare of death hanging in the air, the risk of this turning into a disaster is high.

It has been at least a month since cholera has first appeared in our area. And again, I really do think that it is dying down considerably. The aura of fear has taken its shape in over-careful vigilance rather than foolish disregard. There seems to be more caution than irrational panic around recently. The way things are going, now cholera will have to fight pretty hard for control of Nakaale.