The death of a one-year-old baby from a village in Upolu from typhoid has sparked
the Red Cross Samoa into action.
The Red Cross conducted a hygienic assessment in Aele last week and is now
supporting the villagers by providing them with soap and clothes to ensure
the families are protected.
The group are also responding to several cases of typhoid in Malie, Upolu, with help
from Rotary Samoa, Samoa Water Authority and other NGOs.
Nine members of one family in Malie had typhoid.
Red Cross Coordinator of Water and Sanitation, Opetaia Opetaia told the
Samoa Observer the spread of the disease within families was caused by many factors such as unsanitary toilets and the consumption of contaminated water.
Opetaia believes another reason for the increase of typhoid among children is the negligence of parents.
