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Health

Cholera: FCT records 7 deaths in 4 communities – Official

Cholera: FCT records 7 deaths in 4 communities – Official
By Mustapha Sumaila
Cholera
Abuja, Aug. 13, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that seven deaths had been recorded from the outbreak of cholera in four communities in the territory.
Dr Humphrey Okoroukwu, the Director of Public Health in the Health and Human Services Secretariat, FCTA, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Okoroukwu said two deaths were recorded at Kubwa village; one at Sauka, another two deaths at Mpape and two at Ushafa.
However, he said that the outbreak in Kwali and Kuje Local Area Councils did not claim any live, while the situation in the two area councils and those at Sauka, Mpape and Kubwa villages had been curtailed.
According to him, the outbreak at Ushafa is the most recent, and “all efforts have been put in place by the administration to address it.
The director also disclosed that there were 58 cases listed in the recent outbreak at Ushafa, comprising 36 females and 22 males.
He emphasised that only two deaths were recorded at Ushafa and refuted speculations of five deaths from the disease in the community.
Okoroukwu noted that the cases fit into the definition cases of cholera, while laboratory confirmation was being awaited.
The director said, however, that a case of cholera had been established from the laboratory tests conducted on one of the patients.
“We are treating them as cholera so that we won’t take any chances, and our disease surveillance officers in Bwari Area Council are all on ground in Ushafa, to curtail it.
“We have since sent some medications to Bwari General Hospital as well as chlorine and water guard for the treatment of their drinkable water,” he said.
Okoroukwu noted that health education had been intensified in communities to sensitise residents on the prevention and management of the disease.
The official urged residents not to panic as necessary measures had been put in place to prevent the spread of the disease. (NAN)
MS/FLP/MST
Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Environment

Group expresses concern over incessant cholera outbreaks, seeks interventions

Cholera
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, July 11, 2018 (NAN) The Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Working Group has expressed concern over the incessant outbreak of cholera in parts of the country.

 

The group conveyed the concern in Abuja on Wednesday at a meeting organised to assess WASH Emergency Response plans.

 

Mr Ibiyemi Olu-Daniels, who gave an update on cholera situation, said that the group had received reports of outbreak of suspected and confirmed cases of cholera with some deaths.

 

“In Bauchi State, 84 cases were reported last week and seven cases were also reported yesterday (Tuesday), while Adamawa has reported no fewer than 1,637 suspected cases.

 

“Twenty-six cholera deaths have been reported in Adamawa State: 14 in Mubi North Local Government Area (LGA) and 12 in Mubi South LGA,” Olu-Daniels said.

 

Also speaking, Mr Noor Bakhsh, a WASH Specialist in Emergency Response, underscored the need to close the funding gap in emergency interventions in the North East geo-political zone, saying it still stood at 84 per cent.

 

He noted that the gap would hinder response activities, especially interventions in the provision of water supply and sanitation facilities.

 

He also stressed that proper emphasis should be placed on the operation and maintenance of water systems.

 

Bakhsh said it was worrisome that only 16 per cent of funding requirements was available, adding that about 48.7 million U.S. dollars would be required to finance humanitarian response activities in the North East in 2018.

 

“This administration should continue in its efforts to arrest the incidences of water-borne diseases, especially cholera, and this is what the WASH sector partners are doing through the humanitarian response plan.

 

“The critical needs of water are still there, a lot of funding is needed; it is saddening that only 16 per cent of the needed funding has been received so far. So, we need to change the narratives,’’ he said.

 

He urged the Federal Government to start the implementation of its response plan, while commending the government for drilling eight boreholes in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno.

 

Bakhsh said that the group’s collaboration with Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency had been quite beneficial, adding, however, that there was a need to initiate deliberate strategies to halt the spread of preventable diseases.

 

He also spoke on the Cholera Hotspot mapping, which was carried out by the WHO, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, in the last five years.

 

He said that the report showed that Nigeria had the highest incidence of cholera cases in West Africa, with 14 states likely to have reoccurring episodes.

 

He listed the states as Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and Benue.

 

Bakhsh stressed that the data showed the likelihood of witnessing more cholera outbreaks, following the frequency of disease occurrence in high, low and moderate ranges.

 

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to prioritise plans to expand the citizens’ access to water supply, sanitation and hygiene facilities so as to minimise the risks that could occur.

 

Mr Baba Galadima, the official managing WASH sector collaborations in Federal Ministry of Water Resources, said that due to the recent cholera outbreak in parts of the country, the group had activated its Emergency Operation Centre in the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.

 

He said that the ministry had also started the execution of its WASH Preparedness Plan to intervene in the affected areas. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

Health

Adamawa records 1,564 cases of cholera – Director

Adamawa records 1,564 cases of cholera – Director
By Martins Abochol
Cholera
Yola, July 4, 2018 (NAN) Dr Amos Ujulu, Director of Disease Control Department (DCD), Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), says the state has recorded 1,564 cases of cholera this year.
Ujulu disclosed this during his presentation on the recent outbreak of cholera to the State Executive Council Meeting in Yola.
He said that over 100 communities were affected by the outbreak of cholera in the northern part of the state.
He listed the affected local government areas as Maiha, Mubi North and Mubi South, adding that the disease further spread to some parts of Cameroon bordering Nigeria.
According to him, the state had established a cholera emergency response secretariat in Maiha for quick response to its outbreak in the area.
Ajulu said that N22 million was required to check further spread of cholera, which has claimed 26 lives in the state.
He disclosed that 12 other international partners that have rendered intervention would withdraw in the coming week.
He urged the state government to render greater commitment to end the cholera outbreak as the disease could spread to other local government areas.
Responding, Mr Martins Babale, the Deputy Governor of the state, said that the state would boost water supply in the state, adding that the government is committed to hasten work on the development of the state water plant project.
He said that good sanitation and efficient water supply was the major solution to curtail the outbreak of cholera in the state.
He also said that the government would collaborate with various development partners to ensure that the state do not experience the scourge again.
NAN recalls that the cholera outbreak has claimed 26 lives in the state. (NAN)
MK /COA/MST
Edited by Constance Imasuen/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

24 more new cases of cholera recorded in Adamawa – Official

24 more new cases of cholera recorded in Adamawa – Official
By Yakubu Uba
Cholera
Yola, June 23, 2018 (NAN) Adamawa Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed 24 more new cases of cholera in the state.
A statement on cholera update issued by the Information Officer of the ministry, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, said the new cases, which has no death, were recorded in Maiha, Mubi North and Mubi South Local Government Areas.
It said 10 cases were recorded in Mubi South, eight in Maiha and six in Mubi North.
It said that epidemiological summary of the cases so far as from May 1 to June 22 showed that 1,388 cases with 25 deaths were recorded in the four affected local government areas of Hong, Maiha, Mubi North and Mubi South.
Hong with fatality rate of 0 per cent recorded seven cases with no death, Maiha also has fatality rate of 0 per cent with 16 cases recorded with no death.
Mubi North has 557 cases with 13 deaths or fatality rate of 2.1 per cent, while Mubi South with fatality rate of 1.5 per cent recorded 808 cases with 12 deaths. (NAN)
YMU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Bauchi contains cholera outbreak – Official 

Bauchi contains cholera outbreak – Official
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Cholera
Bauchi, June 14, 2018 (NAN) The Bauchi State Government says it has successfully contained Cholera outbreak in parts of the state.
Mr Adamu Gamawa, the Executive Chairman of the state Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA), confirmed this on Thursday to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi.
Gamawa explained that the government inaugurated a rapid response team as part of its effort at preventing further spread of cholera in the state.
“The State Rapid Response Team was effective in surveillance across the 20 local government areas in the state,” Gamawa said.
According to him, the initial spike in cases, the number of new infections dropped significantly after the vaccination campaign and the rapid surveillance put in place.
“It could be recalled that from January to March we had two persons confirmed dead from the outbreak of cholera in the state.
“Now, I assured you that the cases had reduced from 100 per cent to 30 per cent between May and June. It is going down day by day.
“As part of the strategies, the state government also established Oral Rehydration Centers (ORS) in the PHCs to manage the cases.
“We also directed that they should refer any severe case to the Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi. With that, we are able to contain the outbreak in the state.
‎“That prompted doctors and nurses to work round the clock to treat the sick, and community volunteers are going door-to-door teaching people what they can do to protect themselves,” the official said.
He commended the effort of development partners in helping to prevent further spread of the disease in the state.‎‎ (NAN)‎
MAK/OIF/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Contaminated water responsible for Adamawa cholera outbreak – Experts

Contaminated water responsible for Adamawa cholera outbreak – Officials
By Yakubu Uba
Cholera
Mubi (Adamawa), May 25, 2018 (NAN) Health officials handling the outbreak of Cholera in Mubi town of Adamawa have identified contaminated water as the major cause of the epidemic in the area.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 269 cases of cholera had been recorded by the Mubi General Hospital with 12 deaths.
The officials in a meeting at the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), attended by a delegation of Adamawa Governmen, said water from the wash boreholes used by water vendors in supplying water to majority of residents in the town tested positive to cholera bacteria.
“Test carried out on the water points showed that they are positive,” said a UNICEF official who spoke at the meeting without disclosing his name.

The official said that UNICEF in collaboration with other stakeholders like International Rescue Committee would embark on application of chlorine to affected water points in the town.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of Mubi General Hospital, Dr Ezra Sakawa, observed that the town has been experiencing shortage of potable water.
“Coming of the rains probably brought about the contamination of the water source,” he said.
Sakawa noted that wards like Nasarawo and Yelwa were the worst affected, adding that four cases were also brought from Mubi Prisons.
The state Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai, said the state government was committed to addressing the problem of water in Mubi town.
Rufai said that the government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with European Union over water projects in Mubi that would address the problem.
The report said that the Adamawa government delegation led by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Fatima Abubakar, also visited the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa, where it sought the intervention of religious and traditional rulers in enlightening the public on the outbreak and preventive measures. (NAN)
YMU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Environment

1, 296 IDPs risk cholera outbreak in Yobe

1, 296 IDPs risk cholera outbreak in Yobe

Cholera

By Tosin Kolade

Damaturu (Yobe), April 26, 2018 (NAN)There are indications that the 1, 296 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pompomari camp, Damaturu, may face cholera outbreak and other water-borne diseases due to absence of water and sanitation facilities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inmates said they get water once a day, while their toilet facilities were not being maintained.

NAN correspondent on a delegation of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Emergency Working Group, further reports that inmates of the camp said the coming rains would compound the problems as their makeshift homes are in tatters.

One of the displaced persons, Adamu Rabiu, told NAN about the poor hygiene practices in the camp, and said it was a huge problem to the inhabitants.

He alleged that the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), had neglected provision of adequate water for them.

He said that the single solar-powered borehole in the camp, was grossly inadequate for their population of over 1,300.

He expressed concerns over how sanitation officers in charge of maintaining hygiene in their toilets, had failed to apply disinfectants and air fresheners to reduce offensive smell polluting the premises.

Rabiu said that the development could become harmful to the population of the IDPs, and called for immediate deployment of more sanitation workers to help rescue the situation.

“As you can see for yourself, the environment is not conducive at all.

“We want the authorities in charge to help us maintain this camp by bringing in sanitation workers.

“We are aware that the Red Cross helped in cleaning the drains and culverts, but now, SEMA is in charge and they are not doing anything.

“We need help in areas of food and water. As you can see that the jerry cans and the people here are waiting for water to come, the solar powered borehole is not adequate.

“The tanker brings water once a day; it is not enough for the population here.

“Our rooms are torn, the rains are coming soon, we want government to come to our aid to help repair our makeshift houses.’’

Another IDP, Mohammed Danladi, said that the clinic was lacking relevant drugs, and called for support to equip the clinics with essential drugs.

When contacted, the Director, Search and Rescue, Yobe SEMA, Alhaji Garba Bilal, explained that the camp initially had 4,011 Persons.

He said, but with the reduction of insurgency, a large number of IDPs had returned, leaving 1,296 persons.

Bilal said that the camp was fully funded by the state government in collaboration with donor agencies.

He said that the collaborative efforts covered provision of basic needs and psycho-social support towards overall goal of reintegrating the IDPs into the society.

According to him, there are other six IDP camps in Kukareta, Ngaburawa, Fuguri, Muhammad Gombe’s Farm, Albari YBC and Kasesa, which has the highest population.

Mr Baba Galadima, Team Leader, WASH in Emergency Working Group, expressed joy that the camps had been decongested.

He commended the state government for timely interventions towards providing livelihood support for the IDPs.

He said that the Federal Government was intervening in providing the group with facilities in parts of the state, to augment the already existing ones.

NAN reports that the group is working to see that humanitarian responses especially in the North East reach their target population. (NAN)

TAK/JTJ/MZA
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Edited by Julius Toba Jegede/Maharazu Ahmed

Environment

NCDC raises alarm over increased cases of cholera outbreak

NCDC raises alarm over increasing cases of cholera
Cholera
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, April 10, 2018 (NAN) The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday raised an alarm over the increased cases of cholera outbreak in some parts of the country.

Dr Adesola Ogunleye, Cholera Technical Working Group, NCDC, said this at the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Working Group meeting in Abuja.

She said there was the need for stakeholders’ collaboration to promote access to water supply and sanitation in the country.

According to her, Nigeria is still one of the countries in the world that is cholera endemic, saying that the disease is preventable and treatable.

Ogunleye said in 2018, no fewer than 2,000 cholera cases were reported in nine states, disclosing that out of which 37 deaths had been recorded.

She listed Bauchi, Borno, Ebonyi, Kano, Yobe and Zamfara states as those with high incidences, adding that Bauchi has the highest number of outbreaks with 932 reported cases.

‘‘There is an increase in the number of reported cases in states and local government areas compared to 2016 and 2017.

‘‘There has been a re-emergence of cases in Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Zamfara and Oyo; there are over 2,000 cases and 37 deaths recorded in 2018 in nine states.

‘‘Bauchi state recorded a total of 932 suspected cases and 12 deaths, we cannot continue to live like this,’’ she said.

She said continuous practice of open defecation, poor personal hygiene, poor environment sanitation, poor access to water supply and poor responses were causes of increasing cases.

Ogunleye said further that the organisation has intervened with the prompt deployment of the Rapid Response Team, provision of Rapid Diagnostic kits for early detection and an ongoing Oral Cholera Vaccine campaign.

She said the centre has also developed and disseminated the National Acute Watery Diarrhoea Guidelines for harmonising response activities towards the goal of reducing it to its barest minimum.

Similarly, Mr Baba Galadima, Deputy Director, WASH Response and Collaboration, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, said the Federal Government was already intervening in the provision of water schemes in parts of the country.

He expressed concern over the lack of commitment from sector actors towards increased access to potable water and sanitation.

According to him, there is the need for state governments to have WASH in emergency working group and response plan towards making Nigeria meet the SDG target and reduce disease outbreaks.

Galadima added that the ministry in its 2018 budget, has included the provision of two water schemes for Sasa community in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

He expressed hope that these water schemes would meet the needs of no fewer than 90,000 people in the area.

He said Bunza, Maiyama, Jega and Zuru Local Government Areas in Kebbi have also been targeted for interventions in 2018 towards the overall goal of providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the WASH in Emergency Group is working to see that humanitarian responses especially in the North East reach its target population. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/EAL
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edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ekemini Ladejobi

Health

Cholera outbreak claims 13 lives in Yobe

Cholera outbreak claims 13 lives in Yobe
By Mohammed Mamman
Cholera
Gashua (Yobe), April 4, 2018 (NAN) A cholera outbreak in Gashua, Yobe, has claimed 13 lives out of 160 cases reported in the last six days, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A source at the Gashua General Hospital told NAN that five deaths were first recorded while eight lives were later lost to the disease.
The source said that the victims were brought in from Sabon Gari, Katuzu, Zango, Lawan Musa and Sarkin Hausawa, which were among the areas worst affected by the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the State Government has despatched a Rapid Response Team to contain the outbreak and spread of the disease.
Alhaji Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), confirmed that the response team has embarked on chlorinating water reservoirs and disinfecting toilet facilities in the area.
He said aqua tablets were also distributed to households while promotion of personal hygiene had been intensified to curtail spread of the disease.
Bukar attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene, adding “we collected water samples from various sources, and using the bacteriological test kit, we discovered some private boreholes with contaminated water”.
He said shallow boreholes managed by private individuals are prone to contamination.
“There is the need to pass the water law in good time to check the excesses of some private boreholes who abuse due process and put the lives of the people at risk,” the general manager said.
According to Bukar, water samples from five boreholes in Gashua which tested positive have been shut down while more samples have been taken for advance laboratory analysis.
He said communities in neighbouring Karasuwa and Yusufari Local Government Areas have been disinfected and provided with aqua tablets to check possible spread.
Similarly, the Senate Leader, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has provided fluids and drugs to the Gashua general hospital for treatment of victims at the hospital.
Alhaji Habu Kaku, aide to the leader of the Senate, told NAN that the donation of the drugs and fluids was to complement government efforts in the treatment of the victims.
“This is a first phase intervention to arrest the unexpected outbreak and to compliment the efforts of the state government in curtailing the menace,” Kaku said. (NAN)
MM/CEO/MST
Edited by Chidi Opara/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Environment

Director raises alarm over imminent cholera outbreak in Akinyele LG, Oyo State

NAN-AE-1
Cholera
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Oct. 11, 2017 (NAN) Mr Baba Galadima, Deputy Director, WASH Response and Collaboration, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has raised an alarm over impending outbreak of cholera in Sasa Community, Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo state.

 

Galadima, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday, underscored the need for an immediate response to forestall the disease outbreak.

 

He said that the water resources ministry and some development partners recently carried out a sanitation check on Sasa Community and found out that the residents were living in a very filthy environment.
He said that for in the last seven years, the ministry had been receiving reports of cholera outbreak in the area, adding that such outbreaks were also confirmed by the Director of Disease Control in Oyo State Ministry of Health.

“This means that something must be done to help the people so that the unwholesome situation in the community can be addressed and eradicated.

 

“Cholera is not airborne, it is water-borne and caused by poor sanitation, water and hygiene; what we saw in the community really confirms to us that they are susceptible to cholera outbreaks,’’ he said.

 

Galadima said that the use of the only functional borehole in the community had been unduly politicised, as it was connected to the houses of party loyalists, denying the populace access to the water supply channel.
He said that the ministry had taken up the matter by soliciting the intervention of the State Rural Water Supply Agency regarding the need to allow all the residents to use the borehole.
The deputy director said that efforts were underway to spur behavioual change in the citizens by adopting Community-Led Total Sanitation due to the dangers of oral-faecal transmission of diseases, especially from poor hygiene practices.

Galadima, however, noted that without the citizens’ access to water, Nigeria would be unable to have good sanitation, adding that many people lacked water and had no access to reliable public water supply.
He, therefore, called for the collective efforts of all stakeholders to support the government’s efforts to provide water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, insisting that the government could not do it alone.

He said that it was saddening to note that a large number of Nigerians were not bothered about the sanitation of their surroundings, adding that they had probably forgotten that a clean environment promoted better health.
“The government cannot do everything; so we expect stakeholders to come in to help government.

 

“It is sad to note that the people who are mostly affected seem so ignorant about their health, as they continue to live in very filthy environments,’’ he said.
Speaking on emergency responses in the North East, Galadima stressed the need to provide humanitarian services to the displaced persons, saying that water and sanitation were a necessity and key indices to improved life.

“When you have a crowd living in a confined space, certainly, the issue of outbreak of any disease is imminent. The outbreak of any kind of disease, such as meningitis, can occur.
“If children also do not have a place to pass their excreta, there is a problem. Food and access to school must also be provided; these responses must always be made available,’’ he added. (NAN)
TAK/AAB/OOK
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Edited by Adeboye Ajayi and Dayo Komolafe