Abuja Municipal Council (AMAC), has been identified as one of the epicenters of Cholera outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory, where at least 69 persons were said to have lost their lives since the outbreak was officially announced in June.
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The Acting Secretary of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Mohammed Kawu, disclosed this while briefing Journalists on the disease in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.
Dr Kawu stated that over one thousand suspected cases were reported across the territory with communities in Bwari Area Council and AMAC identified as the hotspots.
Kawu, however assured residents of the FCT that the disease has been contained in the FCT as the number of reported cases have been on decline since 19, July.
“The FCT Emergency Operation Center just briefed the FCT Minister and other top management on the latest update on the outbreak of cholera in the FCT. The update is good news because the cases are coming down. We had reached the peak around the 19 of July, but as at today the cases are coming down. In total we recorded 69 deaths and over a thousand cases and all have been treated and discharged.
“We have identified some flash points in the FCT. The epicenter is Bwari Area Council and we have gone there and mapped out the place and the administration has directed that certain important steps be taken so we don’t experience such outbreaks again. The other epic center is in AMAC, around Gwagwa area. It is gratifying to note that all the communities have been visited and told what they need to do prevent the cholera outbreak. It is clear they are have understood what we told them and they are taking those preventive measures that is why the figures are going down.
“We have prepositioned treatment drugs, IV fluid and other consumables in the health facilities in all high burden areas and all secondary health facilities in FCT so that anybody that shows up with diarrheal diseases is treated free. We have also provided important issues like water and sanitation because we have been working closely with the FCT Water Board and the Rural Water Supply RUWASSA, and AEPB. The most important thing is that the cases have gone down and the FCT Administration has directed that more important things be done in those areas so we don’t go through the same circle next year.”
The Acting Secretary also disclosed that the territory had recorded twenty-two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 pandemic as at July 30, 2021.
Kawu who said the Administration was worried about the presence of the aggressive Delta variant in the country said, “We have 22 new cases of COVID-19 and that is alarming and worrying to us. We have about 9 patients admitted in our COVID-19 Treatment and Isolation Centre.
” One good thing about this third wave is that we are hoping that we are prepare to have structures in place to ensure that out treatment centers are intact.
” Our health workers have been well trained and they are on ground. so we are prepare but most importantly we will continue advocate and advice the residents to continue with the nonpharmaceutical preventives measure s that are in place.
” That is wearing of facemask, maintaining social and physical distancing, washing of hands regularly with water and soap or hand sanitizer as well as avoid overcrowded area.“
