By Eriah Lule
After widespread torrential rains and hailstorms in several areas of the nation on August 31, 2022, it was a chilly evening. To stay warm, everyone you encountered covered themselves. It turned out to be a boon for the street food merchants. boda boda riders could be seen yawning for a cup of tea to battle the cold as it was served to them from a large kettle with a bucket of cups.
It started raining again at 4:30 p.m., so I made the choice to take refuge in the nearby incomplete structure. I was surprised to see four kids playing in the rain, who looked to be between the ages of 7 and 10.
One child said, “Let’s play before Aunt comes for us.” ” I don’t believe she will, she is inside sleeping. Let’s play,” the other retorted.
Yes, you also recalled the good old memories where you also did the same despite the end result of falling ill.
After a short while, a boda boda rider was speeding along with a passenger, one hand holding a scarf that covered the passenger’s hair and the other around the rider’s waist.
I carried on my way home when the rain subsided. My neighbor’s young child, who was perhaps a year old, was playing in two large water basins outdoors while crawling around in his overalls. His mother had set them out to catch some rainwater.
Climate and weather have an impact on the prevalence, distribution, and incidence of infectious diseases, particularly those caused by vector-borne or zoonotic pathogens, according to the Ministry of Health study 2021 on the Rainy Seasons.
It was emphasized further that the most contagious diseases thrive in Sub-Saharan Africa’s rainiest months.
According to Sylvia Nansubuga, a clinician at Allan Galpin, several illnesses, some of which are vector- and others of which are water-borne, are expected to recur throughout this season.
According to Nansubuga, a clinician at Allan Galpin, several illnesses, some of which are vector- and others of which are water-borne, are expected again recur during this season.
“In this kind of season, fevers, coughs, and colds are more rampant,” she added.
The toddler’s mother, Bora Beatrice, called a friend who had a car at around 11:30 p.m. to ask them to take the boy right away to the hospital. He had a severe cough, a high temperature, and was in grave condition. He was having trouble breathing, had snot coming out of his nose, and was sobbing because none of the neighbors could sleep.
“The boy was just fine during the day. I don’t know what’s wrong with him now,” said the mother. ” I don’t know why Susan, you don’t pay attention to my boy. It’s the only reason you’re paid.” She returned to the maid.
Nansubuga adds that since rain disturbs practically everything we do, many of these disorders are tied to food handling and hygiene. Some of the illnesses are listed below.
Water-borne illnesses including typhoid, fever, cholera, and leptospirosis are prevalent during the rainy season, as are vector-borne illnesses like malaria, dengue, dysentery, Algiers, fungal infections, and cholera.
Diarrhea
This is a rise in the number of loose or liquid bowel movements, which can be brought on by a number of bacterial, viral, and parasitic species. This is mostly or only occasionally discovered in tainted food. It can be a symptom of a condition like inflammatory bowel disease, which is characterized by persistent (chronic) inflammation of the tissues in your digestive tract.
Drink plenty of liquids, adding semi-solid foods and low-fiber foods gradually as your bowel movements return to normal.
Typhoid fever
This is caused by salmonella typhi, a bacteria related to salmonella food poisoning . This is an infectious disease commonly spread through contaminated food and water or through close contact with someone who is infected.
If left untreated, it may result in serious problems. It manifests as abdominal pain, high temperature, headache, constipation, muscle weakness, bloating, and red patches, among other symptoms.
It can be treated with fluids and antibiotics as the patient is taking enough bed rest.
Cholera
This is an acute intestinal infection caused by food or water contaminated with the bacteria known as Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria causes watery diarrhea that can lead to severe dehydration and death.
Diarrhea, typhoid fever, and cholera are all food but also water-borne diseases, and the rainy season can easily fasten their spread.
This can be prevented by drinking water only from safe sources, or if unsure, boiling water for 3 minutes or doing water chlorination. Cook food well and always have it covered to prevent contamination from flies and other insects. Always wash your hands before preparing or handling food and after using the toilet.
Leptospirosis
This is a bacterial infection transmitted by many animals, such as rodents and other vermin. The waste products (such as urine and feces) of an infected animal, especially rats, contaminate the soil, water, and vegetation, especially during floods.
Without treatment, it can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress and even death. It causes symptoms like high fever, headache, bleeding, muscle pain, and red eyes.
Authorities advise avoiding swimming or wading in potentially contaminated flood waters and also maintaining cleanliness in the house to ensure control of rodents or rats.
Dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever
These are acute viral infections that are caused by the bite of the dengue-carrying mosquito. Dengue can be avoided by practicing the “4-S” against the disease, which stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seeking early consultation, and saying yes to fogging when there is an impending outbreak or hotspot.
Malaria
This is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito (a female anopheles mosquito). It can be prevented by using long-lasting insecticidal mosquito nets, cutting the long bush and oiling stagnant water that would help the mosquito breed especially during the night time. Following the advice of health workers on how to take anti-malaria drugs.
According to Sylvia, it is best to arm ourselves with weapons against these diseases even before the onset of the rainy season by building a strong resistance against these illnesses and practicing personal hygiene and environmental sanitation.
Intensified health education for hygiene improvement, with emphasis on handwashing with water and soap, keeping clean homes, covering food and eating hot food are some of the general measures that would help to fight such diseases in this season.
In two days , the treatment has cost Beatrice 55000UGX for her toddler, yet it’s still running for four more days.
