THE UDM IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RAPID SPREAD OF RIFT
VALLEY FEVER. 19 March 2010 To date tens of thousands of livestock in Northern Cape, Free
State and the Eastern Cape. In addition 27 people have been
infected, two of whom have passed away.
We are concerned that Government is not acting quickly or
effectively enough to deal with this economic and social impact of
this viral outbreak.
The rapid spread of the disease has also exposed the
infrastructure crisis in many rural areas of the country.
Government has neglected the rural areas for more than a decade
now; the result is that provinces with high rates of rural poverty
have suffered from a complete breakdown in livestock control.
Similarly the pitiful state of rural health infrastructure has
led to numerous infections of humans and the tragic death of two
people. We call on Government to make special emergency funding
available to contain the spread of the disease and raise public
awareness in all the affected communities of the dangers of
contracting this disease.
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