The Ministry of Environment has called for an urgent need to respond to the current cholera outbreak experienced in some parts of the country with reported cases of fatalities
Nigeria’s Minister for Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, made the call at a press conference on sensitising the Media and general public on the Cholera outbreak in the country.
According to the Minister, Cholera remains a global threat to public health that needs urgent attention which means that the government is taking measures to curtail the spread of the disease in collaborations with stakeholders .
“The Federal Ministry of Environment will be flagging off National Environmental Sanitation Response Intervention to Cholera Outbreak in Kubwa, Abuja which is currently the epi-centre in the FCT. Afterwards, the Ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including Environmental Health Officer’s (EHO’s) in the states and local Government Areas will embark on nationwide intervention response activities covering the following areas: Sanitary inspection of premises/Environmental Health Surveillance of hotspot communities, Disinfection of contaminated water sources/sites, Strengthening capacity of Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in the State Ministries of Environment and the affected LGAs., Sanitary inspection of food business premises of affected communities, Advocacy, Sensitization and Community Town Hall meetings on control of Open Defecation practices and its health impact, Sanitary inspection of Schools (Primary & Secondary) in affected communities, Training of community volunteers on safe water handling, environmental sanitation and hygiene practices,
Dr. Abukar noted the aim of the conference was to respond to the increasing rate of spread of Cholera cases across the country, sensitize the general public on cholera preventive and control measures to avert further outbreaks.
He also explained that despites the efforts made so far, the country continues to suffer from cholera epidermic and other sanitation enabled diseases every year adding that “In responding to the recent cholera outbreak, the Federal Ministry of Environment, has activated the Sanitation Desks in the 36 State Ministries of Environment and FCT urging them to carry out environmental sanitation activities in their various states aimed at containing the outbreak.
The Minister reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the country live in a clean and healthy environment as it is the responsibility of everyone.
“Citizens are advised to imbibe good sanitation and hygiene practices and take preventive and control measures such by keeping the environment clean; ensuring the use of clean and safe water;
Washing hands regularly with soap and running water especially at critical moments”
Dr. Mohammad Abubakar urged the media “to join the Federal Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders as partners in progress, in controlling and preventing the spread of cholera outbreak in the country by sensitizing and educating the public on cholera preventive and control measures’’.
According to latest situation report from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) released on 10th August 202, a total number of 33,661 suspected cases including 938 deaths in 22 states and FCT(Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Borno, Kastina, Adamawa and FCT) with increasing number of new cases in, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kano, Gombe, Plateau, Niger, Zamfara and Abuja FCT were reported.
Lateefah Ibrahim
