Together Facing Cholera
Awareness Sessions for the MECC General Secretariat’s Team
How Can We Fight this Disease?
“Cholera is a crime and a serious and deadly disease caused by infrastructure breakdown and pollution resulting from sewage water,” emphasized Dr. Sameer Shleweet, a gynecologist, gender-based violence and CMR trainer, and a humanitarian activist, especially in the MECC Service and Relief – Diakonia Department, Beirut office, during an awareness session held for the MECC General Secretariat’s team, on Tuesday 25 October 2022. However, in Lebanon and many countries, it became difficult to develop infrastructure due to other priorities imposed on governments as a result of local and international crises. Hence, personal prevention is very important to face cholera together and prevent its outbreak.
The Middle East Council of Churches is keen on the safety of its staff and guests in the General Secretariat’s offices in Beirut and all its regional offices. Thus, Dr. Shleweet presented, during the session, some prevention steps of a disease which mainly affects the digestive system, in addition to a brief overview on the health conditions and infection cases in Lebanon and Syria, as well as its risk and causes. He also gave some different prevention tips for workplaces and homes, such as constant cleaning, personal hygiene, washing hands, chlorination of daily use water, avoiding handshakes, using bottled water...
For more details about cholera and ways of prevention, you can click here to check Dr. Shleweet’s report, or click here to watch a video about the disease.
It is worth mentioning also that the Middle East Council of Churches seeks, by its humanitarian programs, to raise awareness about the risk of cholera and its prevention steps through various health sessions implemented by the Service and Relief - Diakonia Department.
