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A verbal directive issued by the office of the Divisional Police Commander/ Northern on the 13th of Friday May 2011 has finally hit the roads and a team of personnel has been dispatched down to the province of Bua as support staffs to the Ministry of Health who had already begun their awareness programmes earlier last week.

There has been a reported outbreak of Typhoid in the province of Bua and a total of 41 cases have been positively identified by the Nabouwalu Hospital between the villages of Lekutu and Nasolo most of whom fall between the age groups of 10- 29 years of age.

The cause of the outbreak has been established as an infected water source and general hygiene.

Officer in Charge Bua/ Macuata, Inspector Uwate Patemosi said that the current number of infected (41) is expected to rise as people are still reluctant to come to the health centers or are taking their sickness lightly, thus the need for an awareness programme.

Six police officers have been dispatched from the Labasa Police Station to join the Ministry of Health and the Army personnel who are already in the Province for the Typhoid Awareness Taskforce team.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Mr. Peni Namotu was quoted as saying in the Fiji Times earlier on that a public health emergency has been declared for Bua following the continuous typhoid outbreak in the province adding that the declaration is in line with the Public Health Act.

He urged the people of Bua to adhere to the directive from the Ministry of Health. All mass gatherings have been cancelled. This is one of the most important things to follow in order to prevent the spread of typhoid in Bua