Urgent measures to curb the spread of the liver epidemic in Daraa
Following the announcement of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of launching an emergency response to follow up on the outbreak of hepatitis A in the town of Mahja, the concerned authorities in Daraa governorate formed an ambulance investigation team that includes representatives of the Directorate of Health in Daraa, the director of the Izraa region, representatives of the water and sewage companies, along with the council of the town of Mahja, with the aim of following up on the reality of the spread of hepatitis, containing its risks, and taking the necessary measures immediately.
Daraa Governorate said in a statement today that the team carried out a series of urgent interventions, the most prominent of which was directly repairing the leak of well No. (9), evacuating families living in its vicinity to ensure their safety, in addition to directing sewage workshops to treat exposed drainage sources in the area.
The health center in the town was also supported with laboratory materials, medicines and necessary supplies, in parallel with the implementation of health awareness campaigns in cooperation with the school health, and the follow-up of the use of wastewater in irrigating agricultural crops.
Directorate of Health: Water pollution is the cause
The head of the Communicable Diseases Department at the Directorate of Health in Daraa, Dr. Nael Al-Zoubi, explained: "The main reason for the spread of infections is the contamination of drinking water, which was dealt with and treated later.
In a statement today, Al-Zoubi added that the increase in the number of cases is due to the fact that the infected people are not isolated inside their homes, which facilitates the process of transmission without notice, and that all the recorded cases are stable, and there are no serious injuries.
Rising number of infected
In this context, the latest data from the health center in the town of Mahajah revealed that the number of people infected with hepatitis A disease, which is confirmed in the laboratory, has risen to about 109 confirmed infections.
Local platforms had issued appeals to residents to intervene and find a solution, warning of an increase in the number of infected cases, noting that the infected are visiting government institutions and hospitals outside the town without strict health restrictions, which increases the chances of the spread of infection.
According to local pages, the town's residents criticized what they described as "superficial treatment", where official interventions were limited to sterilizing only two wells and distributing chlorine tablets in one lane, while the town's clinic suffers from a severe shortage of medical supplies.
Residents also pointed to the lack of an effective role for the Civil Defense and service institutions in transporting garbage and treating the causes of the disease, in parallel with calls to enhance health awareness among citizens to reduce polluting practices.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Health launched an urgent response to contain the outbreak of hepatitis A in the town of Mahajah in Daraa, and the ministry said in a statement that the ministry has begun implementing an urgent response to contain the outbreak of hepatitis A in the town of Mahajah after monitoring the rise in infections since April 14 and reaching the peak between the 19th and 20th of the same month.
The Ministry said: The investigation visit on April 21 showed the registration of 58 suspected cases, with the concentration of infections in specific neighborhoods and their rise among children, in addition to transmission within families, where environmental analyses revealed bacterial contamination in some water sources, in addition to risk factors such as the proximity of population and livestock to wells, poor chlorination, water leaks, and the use of sewage water in irrigation.