Efforts are being made to contain the further spread of communicable diseases such as leptospirosis, dengue fever and typhoid.

The Ministry of Health says the recent natural disasters has escalated the surge in LTD’s in various sub-divisions.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says the Ministry has established clinical teams of specialists in addition to the many Public Health workers performing outreach programs in Sigatoka, Rakiraki, Navosa, Nadarivatu, Nabouwalu and Savusavu.

“We have our public health teams reaching out as well. Our hospital based teams being deployed as part of the Fiji Emergency Medical Assistance team of FEMAT that has actually ever since Tropical Cyclone Ana and two teams were deployed before TC Yasa.”

These teams will facilitate community awareness and public health measures to reduce the risk of the spread of Leptospirosis, Typhoid and Dengue and will further ensure that community screening remains a priority for early diagnosis and treatment of LTD’s and any other undiagnosed medical problems.

The Ministry strongly advises people to be mindful of the sources of these diseases and to adhere to the advisories issued for the prevention of LTD’s.

The clinical teams will be slowly returning to their base Divisional hospitals while their preventative health community colleagues will continue to work in collaboration with the community to manage and control the case clusters as they are identified.

Seven people have died from Leptospirosis, Typhoid and Dengue Fever so far.