WFP Deaths; Government sends samples abroad

Government will by close of business today learn if or not the three people that recently passed on in northern Uganda died due to poisonous food from World Food Programme.

WFP Deaths; Government sends samples abroad
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Government will by close of business today learn if or not the three people that recently passed on in northern Uganda died due to poisonous food from World Food Programme.

The development was communicated by Jane Ruth Aceng the health minister during a press briefing at Uganda media centre in Kampala this morning.

The minister revealed that three unverified deaths have been recorded since 12th March when the first victims showed symptoms. One death was registered at Matany hospital in Napak district while two others were in the community. 

The minister explains that one male passed in Lokit Village Napak district while a female died in Kaita subcounty, Amudat district on Satruday 16th March 2018.
Aceng adds that a government team is now in the communities trying to investigate what could have happened and find out if the deaths are linked to super cereal, a fortified blended food distributed by WFP for prevention of malnutrition.

So far, the minister 262 people have been affected with symptoms of mental confusion, vomiting, headache, high fever and abdominal pain. However, 252 of the victims were discharged after receiving medical attention at health centres in Amudat and Napak districts. So far, no other cases have been registered.

She says samples of super cereal foods as well as water, vomitus, urine and blood have been obtained and by close of business today, results will have been released by the directorate of government analytical laboratory and the central public health laboratory.

Food samples have also been sent to a laboratory in Mombasa called Intertek Kenya limited and another in Johannesburg Intertek testing services SA limited for further analysis. These results are expected within 7 days.

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