Diarrhea tops summer disease list

KATHMANDU, May 11 - This is summer time. This is the season of diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, jaundice and typhoid.
But, hospitals in Kathmandu have been witnessing lesser number of dysentery, cholera, jaundice and typhoid patients during the past few summers. The only water-borne disease whose number of cases still keeps going up is diarrhea.

According to the records of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku, the hospital is getting ever decreasing number of patients aflicted with water-borne diseases like dysentery, typhoid, typhoid, cholera and jaundice in the recent years.

Altogether 27 dysentery patients visited the hospital in 2005 while the figure was 17 in 2006 and 10 in 2007, according to the hospital records.

Similarly, the hospital recorded 348 cases of typhoid in 2005 against 206 patients in 2006. The figure was 169 in the following year.

Likewise, the cases of jaundice recorded in the hospital were 292 in 2005 while the number decreased to 279 the following year. The number of jaundice patients further declined to 155 in 2007.

However, the number of diarrhea patients who visited the hospital during the summer months in recent years is increasing, according to the data made available by the hospital.

The hospital recorded 3,672 number of diarrhea cases in 2005 while this figure went up to 3,930 in the following year. The number of diarrhea patients who visited the hospital in 2007 was 4,500.

"The trend of 'summer diseases' compared to the 1990s is on decline," Chief of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr. G.D Thakur said. He stressed, however, that people can't overcome themselves from diseases unless they drink pure and safe water.

Experts said that growing awareness among the pubic generated through publicity campaigns by both the government and non governmental organizations have led to the decrease in reported cases of 'summer diseases'. Yet diarrhea, which can largely be prevented by drinking safe water, continues to affect people in ever greater numbers.

Dr. Mahendra Bahadur Bista, Director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Hospital said, "Eighty percent of the people who suffered from diarrhea are found to be careless in matters of personal hygiene, drinking water, and food."

Bista said that lack of good water supply is the major problem in the present context.

With the beginning of the this year's summer season, 183 cases of diarrhea have already been registered at Sukraraj Infectious Disease Hospital, Teku.

Said Bhusan Tuladhar, Director of Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO), "Lack of proper sanitation and carelessness about diarrhea infection during the rainy season is leading to the increase in the number of diarrhea patients."