Last Updated on 3 years by Publishing Team
Press Release
LTD’s Update
The Ministry of Health & Medical Services has established “Clinical Teams” of Specialists in addition to the many Public Health workers performing outreach programs in Sigatoka, Rakiraki, Navosa, Nadarivatu, Nabouwalu, and Savusavu. The teams will facilitate community awareness and public health measures to reduce the risk of the spread of Leptospirosis, Typhoid, and Dengue (LTD’s) and will further ensure that community screening remains the priority for early diagnosis and treatment of LTD’s and any other undiagnosed medical problems.
The recent natural disasters have escalated the surge in communicable diseases such as LTD’s in various sub-divisions and every effort is made to contain further spread of the diseases.
The current trends according to baseline thresholds for each disease indicates that
1. Leptospirosis is above the expected level for this time of the year throughout the nation,
2. Dengue is below expected levels nationally except in Levuka. There is a risk of a rise in cases, especially in the North, once the rainfall slows down and there is an increase in stagnant water pooling
3. Typhoid is below the expected level- except for some clusters in Wainikoro and Naduri medical areas in the North.
The Ministry has recorded 160 Leptospirosis cases nationally with an Incidence Rate of 18.0/100,000 population and 5 confirmed deaths while 335 confirmed Dengue Fever cases with an Incidence Rate of 23.6/100,000 population and 1 confirmed death.
Similarly, we have 53 Typhoid cases nationwide with an Incidence Rate of 5.9/100,000 population and 1 confirmed death.
The Ministry strongly advises people to be mindful of the sources of these diseases and adhere to the advisories issued for the prevention of LTD’s.
The Clinical Teams will be slowly returning to their base Divisional hospitals while the preventative health community colleagues will continue to work in collaboration with the community to manage and control the case clusters as they are identified.
The Health Ministry further states, it is imperative that we maintain control over the risk of LTD’s as we prepare for COVID-19 vaccinations which is expected to commence soon.