Writers 
Cholera.
Just hearing the name makes many of us nervous. And honestly, it should.
Cholera is not a new disease, but every rainy season we hear stories of people rushing to the hospital because of severe diarrhea and vomiting. Some don’t even make it. The painful part? Cholera is 100% preventable.
So let’s talk about it, plain and simple. No big grammar. Just the truth we all need.
1. WHAT CAUSES CHOLERA?
Cholera is caused by germs. Tiny bacteria that enter the body through what we eat and drink.
You can get cholera when you:
- Drink dirty or contaminated water
- Eat food that was prepared in unhygienic conditions
- Fail to wash your hands properly after using the toilet
It’s that simple. One dirty cup of water. One unwashed hand. And the germs are inside.
2. HOW DOES CHOLERA SPREAD?
Cholera spreads very fast, especially where hygiene is poor. This is how it moves from one person to another:
- Drinking unsafe water: From wells, streams, or sachets that were not properly treated
- Eating contaminated food: Especially fruits, vegetables, and cooked food left open
- Poor hand hygiene: Not washing hands after toilet and before eating
- Open defecation: When waste gets into water sources and drainages
- Poor environmental sanitation: Dirty surroundings, refuse heaps, and blocked gutters
During the rainy season it gets worse because flood water mixes with waste and spreads everywhere.
3. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CHOLERA
The symptoms usually come suddenly. Sometimes within hours. Watch out for:
- Frequent watery diarrhea. It looks like "rice water"
- Vomiting
- Excessive thirst
- Weakness and tiredness
- Dry mouth
- Sunken eyes
- Muscle cramps
Here’s the danger: A person with severe cholera can lose a lot of body fluid within a short time. In a few hours, the person can become very weak, collapse, and if there’s no treatment, they can die.
That’s why we should never say, it’s just running stomach.
4. HOW CAN WE PREVENT CHOLERA?
The good news is this: We have the power to stop cholera in our homes and community. Prevention is cheaper than treatment.
Here’s what we must do:
1. Drink clean and safe water. Boil your water for at least one minute if you’re not sure it’s safe. Or use water guard.
2. Wash hands with soap and clean water after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food.
3. Eat properly cooked food. Eat food while it’s still hot. Cover your food.
4. Wash fruits and vegetables. Thoroughly before eating them.
5. Use toilets. Avoid open defecation.
6. Keep our homes and surroundings clean. Sweep, dispose refuse properly, and clear drainages.
7. Practice good personal hygiene at all times.
If every house does just 3 of these, cholera will have nowhere to stay.
5. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE HAS CHOLERA?
This is where many people make mistakes. They wait. They self-medicate.
If someone develops severe diarrhea and vomiting, please do this immediately:
1. Give Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) right away. If you don’t have ORS, use clean water + a pinch of salt + 6 spoons of sugar.
2. Encourage the person to drink plenty of clean water and fluids to replace what they are losing.
3. Take the person to the nearest hospital or health center without delay.
4. Do not self-medicate or wait for the illness to become severe.
Time is life with cholera.
KEY MESSAGE
My people, let’s hear this well: Cholera is preventable.
Clean water, proper sanitation, good hand washing practices, and early treatment can save lives.
Cholera does not choose rich or poor. It chooses dirty environments.
Every member of the community has a role to play. From the mother in the kitchen, to the youth clearing gutters, to the church and mosque leaders sensitizing their people.
Let’s stop the "cho cho" and start the action.
Wash your hands. Boil your water. Keep your environment clean.
Stay safe. Stay healthy.
#StopCholera #CleanWater #WashYourHands.
