Measures are being taken to address typhoid fever outbreak in the country.
Cabinet approved the submissions made by Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma on measures to interrupt the transmission and prevent complications from the recent outbreak in the country.
Sharma said preliminary investigations indicate that poor personal hygiene, contaminated water supply, poor maintained pit latrines are some of the reasons for the outbreak in the country and awareness at community level will be created and education programs will be conducted.
He also said that a technical group including World Health Organization officials will be established to monitor the effectiveness of the interventions adding that funds will be taken from this year=s budget allocation.
Meanwhile, the Fiji College of General Practitioners believes that people should not be stopped from wearing shoes in villages as it can pose a risk to their health.
Dr Ram Raju said that not wearing shoes when going out especially in rural areas in not healthy at all and there is high chance of a person getting Leptospirosis.
A Medical Practitioner in the North has echoed Dr Raju's sentiments saying that people should talk to the Health Ministry before implementing such regulations in their villages as Typhoid is also on the rise and people walking without shoes can risk getting the disease.
These comments come after a village in Savusavu came up with the rule that nobody is allowed to wear any footwear in the village.
The elders of Nukubalavu Koro believe that the step is necessary to maintain the Fijian culture.
The village has also come up with the protocol where ladies are not allowed to have long hair and wear short clothes.
