Four people have so far died, while another 109 have been admitted in hospital following an outbreak of cholera in Moroto District.
Moroto District health officer Dr. Charles Omundu Komakech confirmed this yesterday in his meeting with the parliament Task-force Committee on COVID-19 which is currently on a tour of the district.
The outbreak which was reported in the region two weeks ago has quickly spread into all 12 settlements of Kanakomol village in Nadunget sub-county, Moroto District.
Some of the villages worst hit include Campswahili, Nawanatau, Kakoliye, Nachogorom, Nakapelimen, Naitakwae, Kanakomol, Army Baraccks among others.
The committee is touring the region to establish the preparedness in handling COVID-19 but they were shocked to learn of the cholera outbreak.
According to Dr. Komakech, the outbreak in the region is due to lack of clean water for consumption as residents resort to unsafe water.
He said the few boreholes which served as sources of clean water in the region broke down a year ago, leaving residents to use alternative sources which are massively contaminated by poor sanitation practices in the region mainly open defecation.
Dr. Komakech said they have received drugs to treat those admitted as well as testing kits. He said boreholes are being repaired to solve the water problem.
On COVID-19 preparedness, Dr. Komakech called on government for provision of enough Protective Personal Equipment (PPEs) and vehicles for the district to cope with the many porous border areas in Moroto.