Clean Water Is Difficult To Access, OKU Health Office Records 811 Cases Of Diarrheatic Diseases From January To May 2025

Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the OKU Health Service, Andi Prapto. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Diarrhea is one of the diseases that still often attacks the community, especially during the dry season. Lack of clean water supply and decrease in water quality are the main factors that cause the spread of bacteria that cause diarrhea to increase.

Symptoms can be mild to severe, and if not treated properly, they can cause severe dehydration, especially in children. Therefore, the prevention and control of this disease is very important, especially in areas that depend on open water sources such as rivers.

In Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra, the Health Office (Dinkes) recorded 811 cases of diarrhea that occurred in the last five months. This number was collected from January to May 2025, as stated by the Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) of the OKU Health Office, Andi Prapto, in Baturaja.

According to Andi, the majority of people with diarrhea are children who had undergone treatment at 18 health centers and three hospitals in the area.

"Thankfully, all patients managed to recover thanks to the quick and precise medical treatment, without any casualties," he explained, as quoted by ANTARA.

He also explained that the high number of cases of diarrhea is closely related to the long dry season which has an impact on the decline in the water quality of the Ogan River, one of the main sources of clean water for the local community. In such conditions, bacteria and pathogens are easy to develop and pollute the water consumed by residents.

"River water is the main source for various needs, but unfortunately pollution is getting worse because there is still a habit of residents throwing garbage into the river," said Andi.

He appealed to the public, especially those living along the Ogan Watershed (DAS), to avoid direct river water consumption. If forced to drink, the water must be cooked until it completely boils at 100 degrees Celsius to kill germs and bacteria that cause disease.

As part of prevention efforts, the OKU Health Office is currently actively conducting a Clean and Healthy Lifestyle (PHBS) campaign to the public. This education includes the importance of maintaining environmental cleanliness, washing hands with soap, and ensuring drinking water is in hygienic condition.

"We continue to carry out socialization so that people are more concerned about cleanliness and no longer rely on contaminated river water," concluded Andi.