Question NW3346 to the Minister of Health
13 October 2022 - NW3346
Wilson, Ms ER to ask the Minister of Health
(1)With reference to the dysfunctional sewerage plant that was pouring raw and contaminated sewerage into the Elands River, upon which thousands of persons rely for water for irrigation and daily use and which is spreading water borne diseases like Cholera, Dysentery and Hepatitis and many other diseases in the process, what interactions are being held with other departments, in particular the Department of Water and Sanitation, to assess and mitigate health disasters; (2) whether water sources are checked and tested to assess the (a) possible increase in COVID-19 and (b) the spread of other diseases; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) what measures are in place at a provincial level to regularly assess the water quality and other potential disease risks in vulnerable communities; (4) what number of patients in each district in Limpopo have been treated for possible water borne diseases in the past 12 months?
Reply:
1. Interactions are being held with other departments. Municipal Health Services Departments, led by Environmental Health Practitioners, with other sector Departments such as Department of Water and Sanitation in those areas of jurisdiction jointly assess potential health hazards and risks.
The Department of Health has developed the National Environmental Health Norms and Standards that further guides Municipalities on roles they should play to ensure that communities are not exposed to unsafe water including development of Municipal Water Quality Monitoring Plans against which routine water sampling is conducted. The National Department of Health further encourages and support Municipalities in conducting health Education to the communities affected including providing all other Municipal Health Services.
2. (a) Yes, wastewater is tested. Domestic water sources are not tested because SARS-CoV-2 is not spread by water.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Durban University of Technology started testing wastewater for SARS-COV-2 in mid-2020, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Municipalities.
As a result, interested laboratories formed the South African Collaborative COVID-19 Environmental Surveillance System Network (SACCESS). The aim of the SACCESS is to create a network of stakeholders (including laboratories and municipalities) capable of testing wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 by standardised methodology to support tracking of the COVID-19 pandemic across South Africa.
Results of wastewater based testing for communicable diseases in influent sewerage reflect the health status of the population, and proves helpful in monitoring effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. SARS-CoV-2 is not transmitted by wastewater and untreated wastewater influent is not regarded as infectious for SARS-CoV-2. Data from testing of wastewater has been made available in South Africa through the NICD-led South African ‘SACCESS’ network and has contributed to developing COVID-19 response plans.
(b) Municipalities’ environmental health services are required to develop water quality monitoring plans in accordance with the National Environmental Health Norms and Standards for Environmental Health. These plans include, monthly domestic water quality monitoring plans including water borne diseases environmental surveillance, include cholera monitoring amongst others.
3. District and Metropolitan Municipalities’ environmental health services are required to develop water quality monitoring plans in accordance with the National Environmental Health Norms and Standards for Environmental Health. These plans include, the requirements for monthly domestic water quality monitoring supplies in terms of microbiological and chemical quality of water for fitness for human consumption for water services and non-water services authorities.
Sampling is focused on water supplies that are likely to pose risk to human health.
In the event of non-compliance with water quality standards, sampling frequency is increased (for example to 4 (four) samples per month).
Monitoring of water sources is accompanied by the necessary community education.
(4) The following information is supplied by the Limpopo Department of health. The most recent period for which data is available is August 2021 – July 2022.
Below is a table that indicates the number of cases of water-borne diseases that were treated:
Table: Diarrheal cases by district for last 12 months from Aug 2021 to Jul 2022 District
|
District |
Waterborne disease |
Number of case treated |
|
Capricorn |
Cholera |
0 |
|
shigellosis |
1 |
|
|
Typhoid |
2 |
|
|
Mopani |
Cholera |
0 |
|
shigellosis |
0 |
|
|
Typhoid |
0 |
|
|
Sekhukhune |
Cholera |
0 |
|
shigellosis |
0 |
|
|
Typhoid |
0 |
|
|
Vhembe |
Cholera |
0 |
|
shigellosis |
0 |
|
|
Typhoid |
2 |
|
|
Waterberg |
Cholera |
0 |
|
shigellosis |
0 |
|
|
Typhoid |
0 |
|
|
Total |
5 |
END.