NAN Archive

Loading

NAN Archive

Tag Cholera

Environment

Cholera kills 184 persons in 2017, says Nigerian Centre for Disease Control

NAN-AE-6
Cholera
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Oct. 10, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says no fewer than 184 persons died from an outbreak of cholera in eight states across the country this year.

 

Ms. Nanpring Williams, the Surveillance Focal Person of NCDC, said this at the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector Meeting, organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja on Tuesday

 

She said that the affected states were Zamfara, Kwara, Borno, Lagos, Oyo, Kebbi, Kaduna and Kano.

 

Williams said that the National Cholera Situation Report indicated that there were 8,241 suspected cases of the disease in parts of the country.

 

She said that the centre was executing the pilot phase of administering Oral Cholera Vaccine in Muna Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp and the entire Mafa Local Government Area in Borno, reaching no fewer than 34,815 persons.

 

She said that the centre was also conducting active surveillance and laboratory diagnosis, effective coordination and case-by-case management of cholera.

 

Williams said there were cases of water contamination in Kebbi through open defecation, adding that deliberate efforts were needed from all stakeholders to promote access to water and sanitation.

 

She, however, bemoaned the lack of coordination between the state ministries of health and the rural water supply and sanitation agencies, saying that the deficiency had been a major challenge to efforts to strengthen WASH activities in the country.

 

Mr Baba Galadima, Deputy Director, WASH Response and Collaboration with Federal Ministry of Water Resources, underscored the need for effective collaboration among all stakeholders in order to reduce cholera outbreaks in parts of the country.

 

He said that the emergency response, an offshoot of the 2014 floods, was involved in the provision of emergency responses to displaced persons.

 

He added that the Boko Haram insurgency also induced some humanitarian crises and the need to provide emergency aid to IDPs in the North East.

 

Galadima said that the ministry would sustain activities to promote hygiene practices, in collaboration with the state water supply agencies, by placing tangible emphasis on Community-Led Total Sanitation processes.

 

He said that promoting hygiene practices in the country required the collective efforts of all citizens, saying that the Federal Government and development partners could not handle it alone. (NAN)
TAK/OOK
=======

Health

WHO commences cholera vaccination in Borno

WHO commences cholera vaccination in Borno
NAN-HG-7
Cholera
By Yashim Katurak
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2017 (NAN) The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it will in partnership with the Nigerian Government vaccinate people over the age of one years in Borno against cholera outbreak.
Dr Wondi Alemu, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday that the vaccination was expected to target over 915,000 people in the state.
Alemu said to achieve this Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of developing countries and donor governments in collaboration with WHO have delivered 915,005 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine to the country.
He said the organisations were working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Borno Ministry of Health to make the vaccine available free-of-cost to affected populations.
Alemu said the vaccination which started on Sept. 18, would last for the next few days.
He said the campaign would take place at the Muna Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri as well as Jere, Monguno and Dikwa local government areas of the state.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria through the NCDC and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with the WHO, UNICEF and other partners are all supporting the Borno ministry of health.
“We would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the current cholera outbreak in some parts of Borno state is contained shortly.
“The Government at all levels is working closely with partners to improve the sanitation situation, conducting hygiene promotion and disinfection of the affected areas where the campaign will take place including the Maiduguri Municipal Council.
“Following heavy rainfall and lack of access to safe water, more than 2,600 suspected cholera cases have been reported in Borno.
“As at September 16, more than 40 deaths have been recorded since the first case was confirmed in mid-August.
“The majority of cases have been detected in the Muna IDP camp on the outskirts of Borno state’s capital Maiduguri which houses 20,000 people who have fled the Boko Haram conflict.
“The number of suspected cholera cases has also increased dramatically in Dikwa and Monguno areas in the past few weeks,” Alemu said.
He said that this led the International Coordinating Group (ICG) for Vaccine Provision to send cholera vaccines from the global stockpile to the country.
According to Alemu, thousands of people in these camps have already left their homes to flee violence and terror; they now find themselves at risk of cholera.
Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, said in the statement that the vaccines would play a vital role in slowing the spread of the disease.
Berkley said it would also buy valuable time to put the right water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in place to stop the root causes of the outbreak.
Alemu said WHO and partners were already making a difference by alerting people of the risks of cholera, supporting the early detection of cases, treating cases and taking other steps to end the outbreak.
He said that the organisation was focusing on delivering a single dose to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.
He said that the organisation and its partners hoped to address the outbreak within the shortest time in order to move forward in addressing the myriad of other pressing health needs in the state. (NAN)
KRY/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Cholera: Yobe launches campaign on preventive measures

Cholera: Yobe launches campaign on preventive measures
NAN-HG-9
Campaign
Damaturu, Sept. 18, 2017 (NAN) The Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) says it has launched a campaign on preventive measures to check the spread of cholera to the state from neighbouring Borno.
Alhaji Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, RUWASSA, disclosed this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu.
He said the campaign was designed to sensitise residents on water safety, waste disposal and personal hygiene.
Bukar described the campaign as “proactive measures to avoid the fire brigade approach” in controlling the spread of the disease in the state.
He said that the Yobe Government in collaboration with donor partners constructed 200 toilets in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and the host communities to curb open defecation.
“The state government and donor partners had this year alone constructed 20 new water facilities and rehabilitated 200 others in returnee communities where the people have returned home.
“We have designed a time table for periodic dislodgment of the toilets and maintenance of the water facilities for effective waste disposal and water safety,” he said.
Mohammed said the state government and donor partners have also restored water supply to several communities in Gujba and Gulani local government areas to provide safe water.
“,Government with its partners, is working on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene platform (WASH) by constructing six new water facilities and rehabilitating 12 others in other affected communities,” he said.
The general manager said the campaign also centred on the dangers of open defecation, need for proper waste disposal, proper hand washing and handling of water.
Mohammed said the state had taken delivery of water drinking facilities for public places and chlorine for use in water sources and facilities.
“We are liaising with all stakeholders to ensure that the communities are provided with safe water,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the community participation in the campaign especially among food vendors and in motor parks as well as in markets where toilets and water facilities have been provided.
According to the general manager, the agency is working on 2018 budgetary provision for a full-fledge and sustainable campaign on hygiene promotion to improve the health status of residents of the state. (NAN)
MM/DO/MST
Edited by David Onilede/Muhammad Suleiman Tola