Westmoreland Health Department Heightens Water Safety Public Education Campaign

The Westmoreland Health Department is continuing its proactive public education campaign on water safety and leptospirosis prevention, supporting communities as they recover from the recent heavy rains.

Health Promotion and Education Officer, Gerald Miller, told JIS News that the Department has been actively engaging residents, the military base in Frome, and other community groups to strengthen awareness of the risks posed by untreated water and exposure to flooded areas.

“We have been handing out purifying tablets with guidelines on how to use them to treat drinking water, and persons are gravitating towards it, which is encouraging,” he said.

Mr. Miller noted that the team has been “saturating areas where bottled water is scarce” and residents have been relying on rivers for domestic use, ensuring that critical health messages reach those most at risk.

“So far, I have not gotten any adverse or negative reactions. They appreciate us sharing the information and clearing up misconceptions they have about consuming water from these sources,” he added.

Mr. Miller explained that while many persons assume clear or ‘head’ (primary source) water is safe, the Department has been emphasising that appearance alone is not a reliable indicator of quality.

“The water travels underground, and persons do not know where it is passing… it could be travelling through a pit to reach them. So, it is best for them to treat it, either by boiling or by applying chlorine according to the measurements given,” he emphasised.

The Health Promotion Officer noted that one of the team’s greatest challenges has been discouraging residents from wading in flooded areas, given the serious health risks involved.

“Some of them are accustomed to it. But we have been outlining the risks and impressing on them the importance of staying away from these waters, because the Leptospira bacteria could be present and would penetrate the skin, especially if there are any bruises or abrasions,” he pointed out.

Mr. Miller added that the Department is also reminding residents to observe food safety practices, particularly when consuming canned items.

“They are to sanitise the tins. Wipe them off and use a straw to drink canned juices, because they cannot tell the situations these cans have been exposed to. Rats could have interacted with them, and that can be dangerous,” he cautioned.

Mr. Miller emphasised that the Department’s overarching goal is to prevent any outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases within Westmoreland.

“We have been very vigilant… we are proactive. We have been talking about leptospirosis and water safety from way back in June when we had the heavy rains,” he said.