WISH Fiji joins Health Ministry in fight against ‘LTDD’ in Fiji

The staff of Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project joined the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) to clean the premises of St. Giles Hospital in Reservoir Road, Suva, yesterday.

The initiative was part of MoHMS’s door-to-door ‘LTDD Campaign’ across the country to combat the spread of leptospirosis, typhoid, dengue and diarrhoea. Fiji has recorded a sudden spike in the number of cases of dengue, leptospirosis and typhoid after Tropical Cyclone Harold that passed through Fiji in April 2020.

As of May 25, 2020, Fiji has recorded 1,146 confirmed cases of LTDD and seven deaths. Of these confirmed cases, 278 are leptospirosis, 77 are typhoid and 791 are dengue, with a majority recorded in the Central Division.

The WISH Fiji project catchment coordinator and supervisor, Timoci Naivalulevu, said that the campaign was essential to highlight the need for clean and safe environment. The team was composed of staff from the Fiji Center for Communicable Disease Control (FCCDC) at Mataika House and the WISH Fiji project.

“By keeping our homes and surrounding clean, we can terminate the breeding grounds for the germs or bacteria that carry these diseases,” Mr Naivalulevu said.

He added, “The increase in the number of dengue cases is a clear indication that mosquitoes have found stagnant waters to breed in. Therefore, we need to look around our houses and communities and clear any unused or unclean water stored in open containers, tanks, blocked drains, and tyres.”

The staff of WISH Fiji are also urging the public to maintain proper hygiene and sanitation habits, which include washing hands with soap and water after using toilets and before eating food.

The WISH Fiji project focuses on watershed management and policy implementation to reduce the spread of the waterborne diseases common to Fiji, such as dengue fever, leptospirosis and typhoid.