The recent outbreak of Cholera in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) had claimed several people, DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports.
To this end, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is to intensify sensitization on Cholera outbreak in Territory.
Accordingly, the sensitization exercise is aimed at continuous education of FCT residents on Cholera.
The Acting Director of the FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Dan Gazama, stated this during one of its sensitization exercise in Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja.
The Director said that Cholera is a severe bacterial disease, which can be fatal if not promptly addressed and in FCT despite the extensive sensitization efforts, the outbreak has resulted in several deaths, underscoring the need for continued sensitization and vigilance.
Gazama said that Cholera, like other communicable diseases, is treatable if detected early; saying that it is more prevalent during the rainy season, and the persistence of the outbreak beyond the rainy season has raised significant concerns.
The Director, who was represented at the occasion by the Head of Risk Communication and Community Engagement/Health promotion, Hajiya Hauwa Suleiman, stated that Environmental Sanitation plays a pivotal role in controlling the spread of cholera with proper handling and storage of drinking water and food.
His words: “The women in the area need to be cautioned from exposing foods inadvertently contaminating it by rats and roaches, which can introduce harmful bacteria.”
Thus, the Director urged residents to maintain proper hygiene practices, ensure clean drinking water, and store food properly to prevent further spread and also go for regular health checks, including monitoring sugar levels and blood pressure.
The Chairman of Lugbe Community Zone 4, Mr. Isiaka Abdulkadir, said the recent cholera outbreak in the community serves as a stark reminder of the on-going health challenges they face and the disease poses a significant concern, which respects no boundaries; saying that the initial case quickly escalated, resulting in one death and seven additional cases marked by severe vomiting and dehydration.
He added that emergency measures were promptly implemented like managing to curb the spread to some extent but, the cause of the outbreak is clear; which is negligence in waste management with some communities channeling waste water and sewage into main roads where children play unknowingly exposing themselves to the bacteria.
The Chairman also noted that, Environmental Officers from Abuja Municipal Area Council have been actively conducting awareness campaigns; urging the community to properly manage their waste with particular concern to instances where residents near streams allowed sewage pipes to discharge directly into the water with this contaminated water used by others for washing clothes, cooking, and even drinking.
