Cholera: UNICEF donates N113m medical supplies to Borno

On Oct 9, 2024

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated cholera response kits worth N113 million to curb the spread of the infection in Borno State.

UNICEF’s Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan, stated this while presenting the items to the Borno State Ministry of Health, on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

Khan said that the items included 30 Acute Watery Diarrhoea kits, 90 units of cholera response items, and 50 cholera beds, valued at over $69,000 equivalent to N113 million.

Others are logistics and equipment kits for cholera treatment, renewable supplies for AWD management, and 50 cholera beds, among others.

She said the UN agency scaled up its response to cholera in Borno following the declaration of the outbreak in the state on Oct. 4.

She said the state has since September reported over 450 suspected cholera cases, with 128 cases confirmed by the Rapid Diagnostic Test and 17 by cultures.

Khan listed some of the affected areas as Maiduguri, Jere, Konduga, Mafa, and Monguno Local Government Areas, adding that “no deaths have been reported so far.

“UNICEF’s response also involves large-scale activities aimed at prevention and case management, these include hygiene promotion, water supply, vaccination, and sanitation measures.

“More than 13,750 people in Bakassi, Teachers Village, Yerwa GGSS, and Gubio Road IDP camps have benefited from the installation of 245 emergency latrines, with an additional 30 latrines under construction in Gubio Road IDP Camp.

“In terms of hygiene, UNICEF has distributed over 4,400 hygiene and cholera kits to households, reaching 28,243 individuals.

“Safe water supply has been provided to 43,689 people across multiple IDP camps, supported by emergency water trucking and borehole rehabilitation”.

According to Khan, UNICEF’s comprehensive response not only focuses on case management but also on preventive measures such as hygiene promotion and safe water supply.

She said that a total of 300,000 doses of cholera vaccine had been supplied to Borno, targeting 290,000 individuals in high-risk areas, adding that an additional 669374 doses of vaccine were being supplied to facilitate smooth running of exercise at IDP camps and flood-prone communities.

The UNICEF official said the agency had deployed 54 health technicians and support staff in the camps to enhance surveillance and case detection.

According to her, the agency in collaboration with the Borno State Public Health Emergency Operation Centre, remains an active member of the technical working group, contributing to the coordination and implementation of the state’s cholera response action plan.

PUNCH/Wumi