Stories
Humanitarian Story - Project: Emergency Cholera Response.
Samar, a woman living in Arsal, one of the poorest regions in Lebanon. She lives in her house with 10 family members. Action Against Hunger Lebanon provided assistance for Samar during Cholera Intervention. (Credits: Rita Wehbeh, March 2023)
Cholera is a disease that can affect anyone, regardless of their age, gender, or social status. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to diagnose in its early stages, leading to delayed treatment and potentially fatal consequences. Samar (alias), a community mobilizer with more than 15 years of experience, knows this as well.
Samar lives with 10 people in her household, and when she first caught cholera, she didn't realize what was happening. She explains: “I visited several doctors who were unable to identify the disease, and I continued to suffer from severe vomiting and diarrhea and since I was not aware that I had cholera, I was being treated for other diseases and not receiving the proper treatment for my condition.”
In the beginning, Samar was ashamed to think that she might have cholera. She kept her symptoms hidden from her family. However, as her condition worsened, she realized that she needed help. She contacted Action Against Hunger, and within 24 hours, the team came to her house and provided her with the necessary awareness and a kit containing materials to sanitize and packs to dissolve and drink to help with the diarrhea and vomiting.
Samar's story is not unique, as many people in her neighborhood had similar symptoms. Cholera can be a debilitating disease, affecting people's lives beyond just their health. It can lead to economic challenges as workers can no longer do their jobs and are either laid off or forced to quit. In addition, staying at home to recover from cholera is often not an option due to financial constraints.
Despite the challenges that Samar faced, she eventually overcame her fear and sought help. Cholera is a serious disease, and early diagnosis and treatment are critical for a successful recovery. By sharing her story, Samar hopes to raise awareness about the importance of seeking help and getting the proper treatment for cholera.
The Cholera WASH Supervisor at Action Against Hunger, which Samar reached out to for help, shared some insightful information about their intervention in the region. She mentioned that they were shocked by the number of cases and suspected cases in the area, and that people were not aware of cholera. This highlights the importance of awareness campaigns about the disease.
To address the situation, Action Against Hunger began giving awareness sessions about cholera, which led to people admitting that they had the symptoms and requesting help from the focal points in the region. The first step in the intervention is to arrive at the location of the suspected case and provide the necessary information and kits to help them with their symptoms.
After that, the team follows up with the case and their family members to check if they have any of the symptoms. They then target an area of 50-100 meters from the suspected case, which is in line with the CATI (Cholera Assessment and Targeting) approach and provide water and dislodging. This approach aims to contain the spread of the disease by identifying and treating all suspected cases in a targeted area.
The next step is to conduct an awareness session about cholera for all people in the targeted area. This session covers important topics such as what cholera is, how it spreads, what the preventative measures are, and how to detect the symptoms so they can report it. This is crucial information that can help people take action if they suspect they, or someone they know, might have cholera.
Finally, the team distributes hygiene kits and disinfection kits. The kits include items such as soap, water purification tablets, and disinfectant solution.
They also follow up with the people who had been affected by cholera to ensure that they were recovering properly.
Overall, through awareness campaigns, targeted interventions, and follow-up, Action Against Hunger is doing, with the support of European Union Humanitarian Aid, can help many people who are affected by the disease. These efforts not only help the individuals who were affected but also help prevent the spread of cholera in the community.
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