Three children die of diarrhoea in Kismayo

At least three children died due to diarrhea outbreak in Kismayo the headquarters of lower Jubba region.

The health workers say the outbreak of the disease in the town and its surrounding areas has hospitalized twenty people.

“This week the disease has killed three children, under the age of five, as more than 20 people were hospitalized” said the director of Kismayo hospital Hussein Sheikh Qassim.

The doctor said the patients were mostly children and had trekked from far off villages. Most were in poor condition on arrival.

Halima Osman a mother of eight, said her child experienced symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting but she had thought it was malaria.

“My neighbours informed me that my child was suffering from malaria, so I bought anti-malaria tablets from a pharmacy in the area and gave it to her, but it didn’t help. I later gave her traditional herbal medicine and her health situation worsened. When I brought her here they told me she was suffering from diarrhoea,” she said.

Dr Hussein urged the local community to keep good hygiene to avoid infection.

He also urged people to report to the nearest health centers immediately with symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.