….Urges Residents to take Precautionary measures
Ekiti State Government has urged residents in the State to be on high alert and take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Cholera to the state.
This followed the Public Health Advisory issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention stating that a total of 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera with 30 deaths have been reported from 96 LGAs in 30 States between 1st of January to the 11th of June 2024.
The Centre listed the 10 states that contributed 90% to the burden of cholera as Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos States.
A Statement signed by the Ekiti State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani explained that the proximity of Lagos State which is one of the State with reported cases of cholera has made the advisory very imperative and urgent.
Filani described cholera as “a food and water-borne disease, caused by the ingestion of the microorganism Vibrio cholera in contaminated water and food.”
He added that Cholera is characterized by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death by severe dehydration in its most severe form.
Filani stressed that Cholera could be prevented through ensuring access to safe, portable drinking water, maintaining clean and proper sanitation practices and waste disposal as well as using proper toilet facilities.
He advised residents to stay up to date with vaccinations against diarrhea diseases, especially the children, adding that practicing safe food handling, cooking and storage is also germane to prevent cholera.
Assuring that the State is fully prepared to combat any outbreak of disease, Oyebanji emphasized that the state has an operational readiness strategy based on previous epidemiologic data, risk assessment, and identify hotspots that can help prevent the outbreak of Cholera in the State through the Incident Management with functional areas and pillars.
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According to him, the State already has an established Rapid Response Team at both State and Local Government levels to actively search for Cholera cases and act accordingly, stressing that there is no cause for panic as surveillance for Cholera and other priority diseases has been heightened in the State.
The Health Commissioner stated that the State is engaging a Multi-sectoral approach with deliberate collaboration among various stakeholder groups to curtail community spreading of secondary infections, thorough contact tracing, optimal communication strategy for community engagement and mass sensitization, adding that emphasizes are also on ensuring adherence to standard infection, prevention and control measures at both community and health facility levels.