The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cholera outbreak

  • Akoko residents lament water scarcity

    Residents of the four local government areas of Akoko division in Ondo state are lamenting what they called ‘perenial’ water scarcity in the communities in the past 30 years.

    A Monarch, the Akala of Ikaram in Akoko Northwest local government, Oba Andrew Momodu, said the state government had spent a lot of money in the past on Awara water dam, Ikare and the Ose dam at Egbe-Ekiti designed to supply water to the four local governments without any effect.

    The monarch urged the state government to have synergy with Ekiti state government and involve the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to priortise water supply in Akokoland, the largest ethnic group in the state.

    Oba Momodu lamented that Akoko people always face problem particularly during dry season.

    Another frontline traditional ruler, the Olubaka of Okaland, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye highlighted the importance of water to the people.

    He expressed the need for provision of potable water in Akokoland to ward off imminent outbreak of disease like cholera, guinea worm, typhoid and other water borne diseases.

    Also, a community leader in Afin-Akoko, Alhaji Ibrahim kilani said it was over 30 years ago during late Adekunle Ajasin’s regime that they drank pipe borne water last in Irun, Ogbagi, Ese, Afin, Oke-Agbe and Oyin and other Akoko communities.

    He recalled that at that time,an Akoko son,late Chief Ayo Ajibulu was Chairman, Water Corporation under late Ajasin’s administration.

    kilani urged Akeredolu to make Awara and Egbe Water Dams functional to supply people in Akokoland.

    According to him, “turning water supply into commercial business as being witnessed now is not proper, provision of water to the citizenry should be the responsibility of the government.
     

  • Cholera: 20 hospitalized in Benue

    An outbreak of cholera has been reported in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue with 20 people now in hospital.

    The Chairman of the council, Dr. Innocent Onuh, confirmed the outbreak of the disease.

    Onuh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Otukpo that the disease had claimed several lives, while 20 children had been hospitalized.

    He attributed the outbreak of the disease to a lack of portable water in the area.

    “For the past one month, Otukpo residents do not have portable water.

    “The water works is no longer pumping water as the staff had refused to work to press for payment of their salaries.

    “As a result of this, cholera epidemic has hit the local government.

    “People are dying and over 20 children are currently on admission at the General Hospital, Otukpo.

    “As for the number of deaths, I cannot specifically tell you now because most of the cases are being recorded in the hinterlands.

    “But we are also collaborating with the state government to stem the disease.

    “I can assure you that we are on top of the situation.

    “People are also receiving treatment at few private hospitals in the town,’’ he said.

     

  • Cholera: 74 confirmed dead

    Cholera: 74 confirmed dead

    The death toll from the current cholera outbreak in some parts of the country has been put at 74.

    According to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, about 373 Nigerians have been affected.

    Plateau, Sokoto, Zamfara and Lagos States had recorded cases of cholera outbreak in the last one week.

    Zamfara State has recorded 1,117 cases with official confirmation of deaths in two weeks.

    The minister, who was disturbed by the outbreak urged Nigerians to take the issue of sanitation very seriously.

    Chukwu spoke on Monday during the “2013 Physicians Week” with the theme: “Federalism and Nigeria’s Healthcare system-An appraisal of the Primary and Secondary healthcare systems.”

    The programme was organized by the Nigerian Medical Association.

    He said, “As at yesterday (Sunday), 373 Nigerians have been recorded having suffered cholera in this current outbreak out of which we have lost 74. We still got a report just yesterday (Sunday) that few of the cases can do with antibiotic.

    “Each Nigerian must commit to certain things; can we stop going into the bush to defecate? Open defecation is not neglected but every Nigerian must know that it is unhealthy. Even market people are paying N5:00 to use toilets in the market place and that is what they do outside this country.

    “My role as the Minister of Health is limited; as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will continue to advocate that every sector keys into what each sector should do and individuals should preach to every Nigerian to do proper things in terms of sanitation.”

    He pointed that, what was important is that Nigerians must do everything to stop open defecation and have access to clean water.

     

     

     

  • Breaking News: Cholera hits Lagos, three dead

    The Lagos State Government has confirmed the outbreak of Cholera in the state.

    The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who confirmed the development in Lagos on Wednesday that out of the 13 cases reported, three persons have died.

    Worst affected places are, Ajeromi, Apapa, Lagos Island, Oshodi and Surulere.

    The commissioner attributed the epidemic to contaminated wells, local food and non-washing of hands.

    He urged residents of the state to report any known case to the nearest health centre.


  • Eight killed in Plateau cholera outbreak

    Medical authorities in Plateau State have confirmed an outbreak of cholera in Namu village in the Qua’pan Local Government Area.

    Namu, a village at the Plateau and Nasarawa states’ boundary, hosts internally displaced persons (IDPs) following the violent crisis which broke out in the Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

    “Yes, there has been an outbreak of cholera in Namu village, eight people have been killed while 61 others have been hospitalised,” the Plateau State Epidemiologist, Dr Raymond Yuryit, said yesterday in Namu.

    Yuryit spoke when he received Alhaji Alhassan Barde, the Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who was on an assessment of the situation.

    He said those hospitalised had been diagnosed with the disease and admitted into various health centres.

    Juryit attributed the outbreak to overcrowding, dirty environment and the consumption of unhygienic food and water.

    He described cholera as a “deadly disease” which could kill “within the shortest possible time because it dehydrates the victim, leading to severe gastro-intestinal impact”.

    The medical expert said the Namu victims suffered chronic diarrhoea and vomiting, adding that many had been hit by the disease before the government intervened.

    The specialist said the epidemic was not altogether a surprise because the area had lots of internally displaced persons from Nasarawa State, a development that put much pressure on the environment and potable water.

    Yuryit said: “But we are happy that the situation is already under control.”

    The epidemiologist explained that he had advised health workers in private and government health centres on how to avert a recurrence of the ailment and how to manage the situation, if it arose.

    He thanked the Plateau and Nasarawa states’ Governments for their quick response to the report, hailing the SEMAs for their support.

    The epidemiologist advised governments at all levels to ensure that the monthly sanitation was taken more seriously, especially in rural areas, to ensure good hygiene for rural dwellers.

    Juryit also appealed to the government to provide potable water to rural dwellers, adding that dirty water was the main cause of the epidemic.

    He advised the residents to promptly report any case of diarrhoea or vomiting to the nearest health centre.

    According to him, a quick action could minimise casualty rates.

    Barde said the quick intervention of the agency was part of its statutory mandate.

    He promised to always offer quick assistance to areas in need.

    The SEMA chief said the agency intervened to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the state.

    Barde urged relevant agencies to assist in the management of disaster cases.

    He thanked the Nasarawa State Government for donating drugs, which would be distributed to various health centres.

  • ‘Prevent cholera outbreak’

    Lagos State Government has reiterated the need for the public to maintain adequate personal and environmental hygiene as part of precautions against outbreak of cholera in the state.

    Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who made the call on Saturday, noted that there is the need to ensure high standard of hygiene, especially following suspected outbreak of cholera in some states in the country.

    While urging the public to be vigilant and report any suspected cases to the nearest health facility and the directorate of disease control in his ministry, Idris explained that cholera is an acute contagious bacterial disease that is characterised by severe form of sudden painless watery stools, nausea and profuse vomiting.

    He added: “Cholera should be suspected in any person who develops diarrhoea with or without vomiting, weakness, restlessness, irritability, dry mucous membrane, low blood pressure, leg cramps, excessive loss of body fluids (dehydration) or death from frequent stooling. Hence, adequate measures should be taken to reduce the risk of contracting the disease”.

    Idris noted government had evolved an inter-ministerial collaboration involving his ministries, Environment and Information, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Water Corporation, adding that health and environmental status assessment of prone communities was on-going.

    He urged health workers to be on the alert and report suspected outbreak of more than five cases to the ministry.