KATHMANDU: Three reports have been tabled regarding the outbreak of diarrhoea in Mid and Far-Western Region. The epidemic had claimed at least 400 lives and also affected another 60,000 in the last six months or so.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) and the government have come up with the reports, trying to ascertain the cause of the disease, which has become more or less an annual feature.

The reports have either supported or blamed the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP) for supplying edible to the remote areas that were found to be ‘unfit’ for human consumption. The government panel, headed by Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, joint secretary, Ministry of Local Development, gave a clean chit to the WFP. It stated that the UN body adhered to all norms, and the distribution took place in presence of leaders from all parties.

Moreover, the samples of the food stuff underwent checks ahead of distribution. Locals only complained about the quality of lentil as it could not be boiled properly. However, that might not be the sole cause behind the outbreak of the disease, explained the report.

The government claimed that it had mobilised sufficient health personnel to tackle the menace. The report maintained that there was no shortage of medicines. Lack of hygiene among locals was blamed for the epidemic. Besides, there is no definitive data to ascertain the cause and effect between the poor quality of WFP supply and the outbreak of diarrhoea in the affected areas.

The government has urged local authorities to coordinate better to prevent similar occurrences in the near future. The NHRC report has blamed the WFP. It alleged that the samples collected from Jajarkot —the epicentre of the disease — was found to be sub-standard as borne out by the test results that were conducted at Food Technology and Quality Control Department. The constitutional rights body suspected that genetically modified food might have been distributed in these areas. Nepal does not allow sale of

genetically modified food.

The figure of death toll, too, has been contradictory. The government claimed that 366 people died of diarrhoea between April and October. While, the NGOs put it at 394.

INSEC has also echoed NHRC’s assertion.

In fact, it went a step ahead to claim that the food was unfit for animals’ consumption as well.

It squarely blamed the government for the latter’s inability to monitor the quality of the supply.

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) drew flak for its tardy approach and infrastructure inadequacies. To make matters worse, the cause of death remains unknown since the MoHP failed to conduct post-mortem.

INSEC’s suggestion

• The government needs to upgrade the health infrastructure

• Each packet of food item ought to contain all relevant packaging

information

• The Food Rule has to be adhered to while distributing the material among the poor and illiterate locals in remote districts

Govt’s prescription

• Awareness campaigns on hygiene and health issues for far-flung districts

• Better coordination among various organisations

• Transparency about the quality of food stuff to be distributed among food insecure locals

• Special mechanism for quality check and distribution of food stuff in back-of-beyond districts