Tinubu Forms Committee To Tackle Cholera Outbreak

President Bola Tinubu has directed the setting up of a cabinet committee to oversee the Cholera Emergency Operation Centre operated by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The minister of health, Ali Pate, made this known yesterday after Tinubu presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Vill, Abuja

Pate said the cabinet committee comprises members from the Federal Ministries of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation, and Education.

He added that the committee’s effort is in addition to State government support to ensure Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation.

“The council then approved a cabinet committee comprising the Federal Ministries of Health, Ministry of Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation, and Education because some of our children will be returning to school.

“In addition to this, we will co-opt the state governments so that Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation because cholera is a developmental issue that requires a multi-sectoral approach.

“The President directed that a cabinet committee be set up to oversee what the emergency operation centre led by NCDC is doing and for the resources to be provided complemented by the State government.”

Pate said at the moment, 31 states had recorded 1,528 cases with 53 deaths.

“At the moment, about 31 states have recorded 1528 cases and 53 deaths in Nigeria. That is what we are working on through the emergency operation centre that was activated by NCDC on Monday.

“Now we have a cholera outbreak, and we discussed it extensively in the council in addition to a new emergence of yellow fever, specifically in Bayelsa State.

“On cholera, we are in the middle of the 7th pandemic globally, which is …decades in the making. In 2022, the world had almost 500,000 cases of cholera, so it is not only peculiar to Nigeria. In 2023, almost 700,000 cases of cholera were reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he said

“This year, more than 200,000 cases have occurred in five regions of the world, the minister added.