NCDC Warns as Cholera Spreads, Claims 30 Lives
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has alerted the public to the increasing trend of cholera cases across the country as the rainy season intensifies and the need to be health conscious.
According to the agency, between January and the 11th of June 2024, 1,141 suspected cases of cholera have been recorded while 65 have been confirmed.
The director general of the agency, Jide Idris, in a public health advisory on Thursday, June 13, confirmed that 30 deaths have been reported from 96 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 30 States.
He said 10 states—Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos contributed 90% to the burden of the disease.
An outbreak in Lagos State has recently been reported.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by the ingestion of the organism Vibrio cholerae in contaminated water and food.
As water is usually contaminated by the feces of infected individuals, contamination of drinking water can occur at the source, during transportation, or storage at home while food may be contaminated by soiled hands, either during preparation or while eating.
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The agency advised that, in order not to be caught unawares, the public should ensure that water is boiled and stored in a clean and covered container before drinking; practice good personal hand hygiene by washing their hands frequently with soap under clean running water; use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and clean water are not available; and ensure that food is well-cooked before consumption.
The advisory also emphasized that people should only consume raw food such as fruits and vegetables after washing thoroughly with safe water, adding that, “After cooking food or boiling water, protect against contamination by flies and unsanitary handling.
“Leftover foods should be thoroughly reheated before ingestion.”
“Persons with diarrhea should not prepare or serve food or haul water for others.”
“Avoid open defecation, indiscriminate refuse dumping, ensure proper disposal of waste and frequent clearing of sewage.”
“If you or anyone you know experiences sudden watery diarrhea, please do not self-medicate; visit a healthcare facility immediately.”
The DG, however, assured that the agency is not relenting it’s effects to combat the disease, saying that the multi-sectoral National Cholera Technical Working Group, led by NCDC, comprising the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, has been providing support to the affected states.
“This support includes risk communication, active case search, laboratory diagnosis, case management, provision of response commodities, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, and dissemination of cholera awareness jingles in both English and local languages,” he said.
