(21 Apr 1998) English/Nat
A cholera outbreak in a remote Philippines town has killed 10 people, including a 2-year-old boy.
It's the latest disaster for the remote mountain town of Upi in Maguindanao province, about 910 kilometres (564 miles) southeast of Manila, which has been plagued by drought and food shortages.
Health workers try to feed this child porridge.
Weak and dehydrated, he is unable to feed himself.
The child was one of 32 tribes people in the remote town of Upi to be taken ill with cholera.
The health workers were part of a government team which visited Upi - in Maguindanao province - to provide medical aid and to airlift patients needing further care to hospital.
The child was one of the patients rushed to hospital.
Sadly, the rescue effort proved too late.
The child died shortly after arriving at the emergency room.
At least nine others have fallen victim to cholera - an infectious and often fatal disease caused by bacteria.
The cholera outbreak is the latest problem to beset Upi, which has been harshly affected by a prolonged drought, triggering food shortages.
In addition, spring wells - the only source of drinking water in the town - were contaminated after a heavy rain flooded the area last week.
The wells serve not only as a source of drinking water but also as a communal bath both for the tribes people and their water buffaloes.
A presidential assistant said the first deaths were reported last week.
He added that the government was working to preempt any further fatalities.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We hope there's no more...no more people dying and getting sick, but we are around on the ground to address this as fast as we can."
SUPER CAPTION: Jesus Dureza, Presidential Assistant
Emergency workers set up a makeshift clinic in the remote town, which is accessible only after a long mountain trek and boat ride.
Many came to the clinic to seek medical help.
And cholera was not the only sickness to ravage the inhabitants.
Officials said about 14 other people in Upi died recently from poisonous wild yams, eaten after failed rice and corn harvests caused food shortages.
The Red Cross estimates that about two point six (m) million people in the southern Philippines are experiencing food shortages because of the drought, caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
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