Cholera: FG Distributes Water, Food Testing Kits, Others

Federal Ministry of Environment has expressed concerns over the outbreak of cholera in some states of Nigeria, which has claimed many lives and affected many communities.

In response to the disease outbreak, minister of state for environment, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the ministry had taken immediate steps to break the further transmission of the deadly disease through water and food testing to identify sources of infection, environmental sanitation campaigns and household water chlorination.

A recent situation report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) indicated a total of 1159 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 30 deaths across 30 states. The states most affected, contributing 90% of the total cases, include Bayelsa, Lagos, Zamfara, Abia, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Delta, and Katsina.

“Arrangements are also being made to support states most affected by the outbreak with chlorine solution/tablets, water and food testing resources, IEC materials and technical advisory,” the minister said in a statement yesterday.

The ministry said it has commenced a nationwide sensitisation campaign on cholera preventive and control measures to avert its further spread and strengthen collaboration with health authorities and other stakeholders in line with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s one health approach.

Cholera, a poor sanitation and poor hygiene-driven disease, is an acute diarrhoea infection caused by ingestion of unwholesome food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It remains a global threat to public health, affecting both children and adults and can kill if untreated promptly. It is an extremely virulent disease that takes between 12 hours and 5 days for symptoms to manifest. The common early symptoms are frequent watery stool that is usually milky white in colour, nausea and vomiting.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the global resurgence of cholera cases, classifying the current outbreak a “grade 3 public health emergency” requiring maximal WHO system-wide response. Nigeria is one of the 14 countries in Africa where the resurgence is being experienced.

To prevent the spread of cholera, “we urge all Nigerians to be more vigilant, imbibe good sanitation and hygiene practices at home and in their workplace and take preventive measures such as: keeping their environment clean always and disposing of waste properly at designated places and ensuring the use of clean and safe water. Water from suspicious sources should be well boiled or treated by adding one part of chlorine solution to 100 parts of water.”

Salako urged Nigerians to avoid locally prepared drinks like kunu, Sobo, fura da nono, Koko, fruit juice etc, except it is certain that the preparation was done hygienically and safely. He also called for proper hygiene in Nigeria by washing hands regularly with soap under running water, especially at moments such as after using the toilet, after cleaning a child who has gone to the toilet, before preparing food, before and after eating, and after playing with animals.

“Avoid open defecation and instead use clean and safe toilets. Cook foodstuffs well, keeping food covered and eating it hot. Eating in public places, including at parties, should be done with utmost care. Wash fruits and vegetables with clean and safe water before eating.”

He urged commissioners of the environment and local government chairmen to support environmental health officers across the country in stepping up their sanitation and hygiene activities through enhanced community-led total sanitation to break further transmission and spread of the disease. “We also urge the scale-up of awareness campaigns focusing especially on places where prepared food and drinks are sold like markets, garages, schools, restaurants, stadia, religious, and sporting events. In addition, sub-national governments are urged to strengthen environmental health surveillance in eating premises like ‘mama put’, cafeterias, restaurants and mobile food vendors.”