Praneeta Prakash 
Water testing.
Concerns have arisen over a rise in diarrhoea cases in Balevuto, Nukuloa, Nacaci, and Toge in Ba.
The Ministry of Health is collaborating with the Water Authority of Fiji to investigate the situation.
This involves inspecting the water source and surroundings and testing water samples at the Fiji CDC lab in Suva.
Initial findings suggest that the water supply from WAF is not causing the increase in diarrhoea cases.
Further investigations are ongoing to pinpoint the exact cause.
The Ministry has also looked into deaths during the same period and found no direct link to the outbreak; they are attributed to underlying medical conditions.
Residents in Balevuto and nearby areas are advised to boil drinking water and practice good hygiene.
Medical teams are visiting the community to raise awareness and provide Oral Rehydration Salts and water purification tablets.
The Ministry is actively addressing misinformation and conducting investigations to understand the outbreak’s cause and underlying issues.
Updates will be provided once verified information is available.
