816 Die Of Cholera Disease Within A Month In Nigeria-NCNC

LAGOS AUGUST 10TH (NEWSRANGERS)-No fewer than 816 people were reported to have died of Cholera disease infection within a month in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) who made the disclosure in a statement made available to NewsRangers said between the 1st of January and 1st of August 2021, 31,425  suspected cases of cholera, 311  confirmed cases and 816 deaths have been reported from 22 states and FCT.

The affected states according to NCNC are Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Adamawa, Katsina, Borno and FCT.

NCNC said the  outbreak  of cholera across states in Nigeria has been exacerbated by poor access to clean water,  open defecation, poor sanitation and hygiene.

The Centre disclosed that the wrong disposal of refuse and  practices such as open defecation endanger the safety of water used for drinking and personal use, adding that these have led to the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera.

It said without proper water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), Nigeria remains at risk of cholera cases and deaths.

“Following an increase in the number of cholera cases, the National Cholera Emergency  Operations Centre (EOC) was activated on the 22nd of June 2021. The EOC which is hosted at  NCDC, includes representation from the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water
Resources, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), World Health  Organization (WHO) and partners.
The National Cholera EOC has led the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to support the most  affected states -– Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Bauchi and Plateau States. Additionally, NCDC
and its partners have provided states with commodities for case management and laboratory  diagnosis, materials for risk communications, response guidelines among other support.

“A reactive oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign led by NPHCDA was conducted in Bauchi LGA,  Bauchi State from 24th to 28th July 2021.
But none of these medical interventions will solve the underlying issues leading to cholera outbreaks. Cholera is a waterborne disease, and the risk of transmission is higher when there  is poor sanitation and disruption of clean water supply.

“The long-term solution for cholera control lies in access to safe drinking water, maintenance of  proper sanitation and hygiene. We continue to advocate to State Governments to prioritise  action for solutions that ensure access to and use of safe water, basic sanitation and good  hygiene practices in communities.
“Additionally, we urge Nigerians to keep their environments clean, only drink or use water that  is boiled and stored safely, ensure food is cooked and stored in a clean and safe environment,  avoid open defecation and wash their hands regularly with soap and running water.

“Cholera is preventable and treatable; however, it can be deadly when people who are infected  do not access care immediately. Nigerians are advised to visit a health facility immediately, if  they have sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and weakness.

“As the NCDC continues to work with partners to lead the health-sector response to cholera  outbreaks, we call for an urgent improvement in access to clean water, proper sanitation and  hygiene,” the statement appealed.

About Cholera
Cholera is a water-borne disease characterised by sudden onset of profuse watery diarrhoea, which can lead to sudden death as a result of dehydration, if not managed on time. Other  symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and weakness. Most infected people may only show mild  symptoms or have no symptom at all. The time between an infection and appearance of  symptoms of the disease is 2 hours to 5 days.

The disease is easily treatable, if detected early. Most infected people can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral  rehydration solution (ORS), with the goal to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. The ORS solution is available as a powder that can be reconstituted in boiled or bottled water. Without
rehydration, approximately half the people with cholera die. With treatment, the number of  fatalities drops to less than 1 percent. Severely dehydrated people may also need intravenous
fluids.
People most at risk are:
• People of all ages living in places with unsafe water
• People living in areas with poor sanitation
• People who consume potentially contaminated food or fruits without proper cooking  and washing with safe water
• People who do not perform hand hygiene when appropriate
• Relatives who care for sick person with cholera at home
• Health care workers including:
• Doctors, nurses and other health workers providing direct patient care in the absence of
standard precautions.
To reduce the risk of cholera, the NCDC offers the following advice:
• Ensure that water is boiled and stored in a clean and safe container before drinking
• Practice good personal hygiene by washing your hands frequently with soap under clean
running water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap and clean water are not
available
• Ensure that food is well cooked before consumption. Avoid raw food such as fruits and
vegetables, except you have washed them in safe water or peeled them yourself.
• Avoid open defecation, indiscriminate refuse dumping and ensure proper disposal of  waste and frequent clearing of sewage

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