The cholera epidemic continues to spread rapidly in Lebanese areas, with some districts experiencing a significant surge in daily cases and deaths due to this bacteria. In light of this developing reality, attention is turning to schools and the measures being taken by the Ministry of Education to protect students and try to limit the spread of cholera in educational institutions.
Dani Al-Hamid, the advisor to the Minister of Education for health affairs and a pediatrician, spoke to MTV about the steps the ministry has begun to implement. Starting last month, the ministry collaborated with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the Lebanese Red Cross to train health officials and teachers, forming the administrative bodies in schools, by clearly explaining cholera and how to prevent related issues. Subsequently, teachers will meet with parents to provide them with instructions regarding the risks of cholera and how to handle it. Additionally, a 20-minute session at the beginning of the school day will be dedicated to educating students on how to avoid cholera and limit its spread.
The Ministry of Education emphasizes the importance of schools disinfecting water tanks with chlorine according to the Ministry of Health's instructions, continuously cleaning them, and providing students with guidance on handwashing and regularly cleaning bathrooms. Students are also advised not to share water or food to minimize transmission and to pay attention to how daily waste is disposed of in schools. Furthermore, water will be regularly tested, with the Ministry of Education specifying the centers where laboratory tests should be conducted to ensure safety and cleanliness, with both ministries being informed of the results.
Al-Hamid stressed the need to inform parents if their children exhibit any symptoms so that the school can identify close contacts and report them to the Ministry of Education's hotline at 01-772000, managed by a joint operations room between the Ministry of Education and the Lebanese Red Cross. If a student shows any symptoms in class, they will be immediately isolated from their peers in a designated area for nurses or health officials until they are picked up by their parents for necessary tests, with results sent back to the school to identify contacts and assess the spread rate.
Al-Hamid revealed that, in cooperation with UNICEF, distribution of protective supplies to various public schools and testing kits for chlorine will soon continue. Regarding the cholera vaccine arrival in Lebanon, when will the vaccination process begin in schools and where? Al-Hamid announced that distribution will commence in hot zones with significant epidemic spread, such as the north, Akkar, and Bekaa. The vaccination process in schools is set to start on November 12, with Minister of Education Abbas Halabi requesting schools to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to vaccinate all students, with a later distribution scheduled for schools across various regions. He emphasized the need to encourage parents to vaccinate their children, even though the cholera vaccine is not mandatory.
Given this new reality, have we reached a point that warrants closing schools? The Minister’s advisor confirms, "We have not yet reached a stage that requires closing schools. Although some areas are experiencing rapid spread, especially due to issues with sewage and irrigation of vegetables, a large awareness campaign is underway to mitigate this phenomenon. So far, we affirm that there is no cholera outbreak in schools currently." He underscores that "with the rapid awareness efforts we are undertaking, we will be able to minimize the transmission of infection as much as possible and will not reach a closure of schools."
Consequently, prevention will be the strongest weapon in confronting this epidemic, especially in schools, which should be the starting point for health interventions through controlling cases and early detection, and most importantly, enhancing social awareness that should transfer from classrooms to homes, parents, and the community.
