TACKLING THE MENACE OF CHOLERA IN NIGERIA

For a very long time, Nigeria has been bedeviled with series of communicable and non communicable diseases which have claimed several lives.

It is on record that on many occasions, diseases like polio, yellow fever, dengue fever, river blindness among others do erupt across the country, taking away great potential leaders.

In fact, it is hardly difficult for two months or so to pass in Nigeria without the outbreak of any disease across the length and breadth of the country.

Presently, there is outbreak of Cholera in about eleven states, which had claimed over five hundred lives. The disease is caused by a bacteria called Vibro Cholera which can be acquired by food or water contaminated by fecal material.

Today, Cholera is ravaging States like Osun, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Taraba, Jigawa, Adamawa, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory, making other States susceptible to the dreadful disease.

Confirming the ugly development, the Chief Epidemiologist in the Federal Ministry of Health, Doctor Henry Akpan said about six thousand suspected cases had been reported, while there were other reports in the media which said the victims are more than that.

Available records show that Bauchi State had two thousand, four hundred and seventeen cases and about one hundred deaths, while one hundred and twenty and sixty five deaths had been recorded in Borno and Katsina States respectively.

Medical Experts have however attributed the outbreak to lack of access to safe water and good sanitary environment, which, in fact, makes all States of the Federation susceptible to the outbreak of the disease.

The fact that the case has not been reported in some parts of the country doesn’t insulate such states from the disease.

Hence, government at all levels must therefore ensure proper supply of potable water and proper maintenance of public utilities, particularly toilets and boreholes with a view to guaranteeing sound environment and hygienic for all and sundries.

Attitudinal change also needs to be advocated among Nigerians on making their environment tidy at all times as well as ensuring that water, fruits and foods are safe before taking them.

Epidemiologists and sanitary inspectors must be employed and supported in all the seven hundred and seventy- four local government areas of the country, to increase surveillance, treatment and enlightenment campaign across the country.

Conclusively, it is necessary for the president to be proactive and develop long term mechanism that will put an end to this scourge of epidemic while comprehensive probe should also be made into how the money budgeted and released by governments and development partners like UNICEF,WHO,MDGS and the World bank on water supply are expended in the last ten years.