Cholera

Jeff writes:

Cholera.

When you see this word, what do you think of, a deadly disease of days gone by? Yes, for most of you who are reading this blog, cholera is a thing of the past, the stuff of novels and of history, but here in PNG it is a present reality.

Lae has just come through an epidemic, but the capital city of Port Moresby is currently reporting 477 cases and an additional 113 from the surrounding area.

The main causes of cholera are poor sanitation and bad drinking water. These conditions exist in the squatter settlements which surround all of PNG’s major cities. The disease is fully preventable, and if caught in time, there is a cure.

We are grateful that our drinking water comes from a mountain stream, which feeds our part of Lae’s water system. However, other parts of the city rely on water pumped from wells. Due to Lae’s frequent power outages, the pumps cannot keep up with demand, so people must resort to other water sources. That is when cholera strikes.

So next time you take a drink of water, thank the Lord for it, and remember to pray for those who do not have that privilege.