- FG orders water analysis as outbreak spreads in Lagos, Ogun
- Osun, C’River activate emergency response, five hospitalised
No fewer than 37 deaths have been recorded in the current Cholera outbreak, which has hit 30 states, including Lagos and Ogun.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health,
Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, in a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs
in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the state had
recorded an additional six cholera deaths as against the previous 15.
She said cholera cases had risen to 401 in the state.
On her part, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi
Coker, told one of our correspondents that the state had recorded one death and
14 cases.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in
its recent report, said from January 1 to June 11, 2024, over 1,141 suspected
and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths, had been
reported from 96 local government areas
in 30 states.
With the six additional deaths in Lagos, and one death in
Ogun, the fatalities are no fewer than
37.
The resumption of schools on Wednesday after the Sallah
holiday could fuel the spread of the disease.
On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation, the United
Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Organisation for Migration held
an emergency meeting in Lagos over the cholera outbreak in the country.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by
ingesting the bacteria— Vibrio cholerae— in contaminated water and food.
Cholera can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea, and the severe forms of the
disease can kill within hours if left untreated.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease,
occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas
with poor sanitation.
Lagos cases
Giving the situation report in Lagos on Thursday, the
Special Adviser to the Governor on Health,
Ogunyemi, stated that Lagos Island remained the epicentre of the
outbreak.
The special adviser, who stated this in the statement by the
Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Ogunbanwo, recalled in the last update, that
the state recorded 350 cases and 15 deaths.
The statement partly read, “Following the last update on the
cholera outbreak in Lagos, which reported 350 suspected cases and 15
fatalities, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi
Ogunyemi, disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 401
across Lagos, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recording the highest
numbers.
“Dr Ogunyemi revealed this today while providing an update
on the outbreak after meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health
Emergency Operations Centre. She added that the death toll had also risen to
21, an increase of six from the previously reported 15 fatalities.”
According to Ogunyemi, the rise in cases was anticipated
following the Sallah festivities, during which large gatherings occurred.
She, however, noted that suspected cases were subsiding
across local government areas, particularly in previously affected LGAs due to
the state government’s interventions and surveillance efforts.
The Special Adviser stated that the government, through the
Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, was maintaining rigorous
surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned
programmes and activities to curb the spread.
She advised that citizens seek medical attention immediately
if they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free
of charge at all public health facilities
In Ogun State, a
62-year-old woman in Ijebu-Igbo has died of cholera.
Our correspondent gathered that the outbreak which occurred
three days ago, also left five other persons hospitalised.
The deceased, it was gathered contracted the disease from
her son who is now among those hospitalised.
The state commissioner for Health, Coker confirmed the incident to one of our
correspondents on Thursday.
Coker said 14 cases of cholera had been reported from four
local government areas; Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode and Ijebu North.
According to her, five other persons had also been
hospitalised.
She stated, “A 62-year-old lady who contracted cholera from
her sick son died in Ijebu Igbo. Five others have also been hospitalised across
four local government areas of Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode, and Ijebu
North
“The cumulative total cases since last week are 14 with one
fatality”, Coker said.
She urged residents of the state to maintain good hygiene
and avoid drinking water from unknown sources.
“I want to call on Ogun people to keep calm and be on the
alert for anyone with the symptoms of cholera. They should report any suspected
case of cholera to our disease surveillance team”, Coker said.
Water analysis
She said this as the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and
Sanitation, on Thursday, said it had initiated a water quality analysis
following the outbreak of cholera in 30 states.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Aliyu
Shinkafi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on
Thursday.
Shinkafi said the move was necessary following continued
reports of outbreaks in many parts of the country.
He said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and
Sanitation, in response, had embarked on water analysis.
“In response to the outbreak, teams from the National Water
Quality Reference Laboratories in Lagos, Enugu, and Sokoto have been dispatched
to collect water samples and investigate the presence of Vibrio cholerae in the
affected areas.
“Additionally, the ministry is coordinating with State
Technical Working Groups and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agencies through
the WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group to address the outbreak
comprehensively,” Shinkafi said.
He said before the outbreak, the National WASH in Emergency
Technical Working Group had already trained state working groups on
preparedness, prevention, and response strategies, as well as hygiene promotion
and water safety planning.
These states, he said, had intensified their community
sensitisation efforts to reduce cholera cases and are promoting campaigns
against open defecation, a known transmission route for the disease.
He however urged Nigerians to take precautions to protect
themselves and their families by boiling or treating drinking water before
consumption.
On Thursday, the Commissioner for Health in Cross River
State, Dr Henry Ayuk, said the state had activated an emergency response team
to respond to any threat of cholera outbreak in the state.
The commissioner made this known in an interview with NAN
Calabar.
He said although the state had not witnessed any cholera
cases since the current outbreak was reported, there was one recorded death
associated with cholera around March 2024.
He added that “there was an outbreak of the disease in
Obubura and Biase local government areas between February and April, with one
death recorded during the outbreak.
“That was about the only time we had a case of cholera
outbreak in this state.”
The Osun State Government also said it had intensified
sensitisation among the residents to prevent the outbreak of cholera in the
state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola, while
addressing the concerns about possible outbreak due to the large movement of
people into the state during the festive period, highlighted measures put in
place by the government to prevent the outbreak of the disease.
Giving an update about efforts to prevent the cholera
outbreak in Osun, Akintola, in an interview with The PUNCH, said his ministry
had intensified sensitisation, especially at motor parks and markets across the
state.
He further said, “No suspected case of cholera in Osun till
now, not to talk of a confirmed case. We have fliers everywhere and outreaches
were being organised in some public places like moto parks and markets.
“But as we speak, we have not recorded any suspected case.
The essence of the outreaches I spoke about earlier is to educate our people on
what they must do to prevent the outbreak of the disease.”
Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, Corporate
Accountability and Public Participation Africa has urged state governments to
address the underlying issues to curb the spread of cholera.
In a statement by its Media and Communications Officer,
Robert Egbe, CAPPA noted that as the outbreak ravages, state authorities had
been quick to issue safety guidelines and precautionary measures, but
underlying issues needed to be addressed.
“Cholera is an infectious disease that causes diarrhoea and
severe dehydration and is typically spread through unsafe water and food
contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
“The disease, even though preventable, is particularly
vicious in areas where sanitary facilities are insufficient, and the
availability of safe water supply is inadequate. As such, the resolution to
controlling cholera lies in the effective management of public water and
sanitation systems,” CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said.
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