The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has activated the Cholera Emergency Operations Centre as part of surveillance and measures to handle any cholera outbreak in the FCT.
The Public Health Department (PHD) said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
According to it, the center was activated by Dr Baba Adam, Permanent Secretary, FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), at the end of a meeting by the department.
Adam said that the center was necessary in the light of the number of reported cholera cases across the country.
He added that as an emerging city, the FCT was at risk of cholera and was taking proactive steps to prevent and contain the spread of the disease in the event of an outbreak.
He stated that the secretariat would ensure that necessary resources were provided to prevent cholera outbreak in the FCT.
Adam directed that all relevant stakeholders be involved to develop effective and reliable strategies to prevent the disease.
According to the statement, the Acting Director, PHD, Dr Dan Gadzama, said that the department had already mapped out high-risk areas and defined the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in addressing the situation.
“The FCT recently recorded about 32 suspected cases, with three laboratory-confirmed cases and eight confirmed cases through Rapid Diagnostic Tests.”
“This prompted the activation of the center to prevent the escalation and spread of the disease,” he said.
Describing cholera as an infectious bacterial disease caused by Vibrio Cholerae, he said it spreads through contaminated food, water, and feaces.
He stressed the importance of addressing environmental factors in controlling the disease and mentioned the active engagement of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) in cholera control efforts.
Speaking about the capital territory’s preparedness for a potential outbreak, Gadzama highlighted several measures that had been in place even before the first cases were recorded.
They include the identification of high-risk areas (which have been placed on red alert), public education and awareness campaigns and training of healthcare workers.
Another measure was the establishment of a Cholera Incident Management team consisting of relevant stakeholders.
The FCT State Epidemiologist, Dr Lawal Ademola said that cholera was primarily associated with lack of potable drinking water, poor sanitation, and poor food hygiene.
“Addressing these issues will significantly reduce the risk of cholera outbreaks.”
He added that the government, individuals, and communities all have important roles to play in implementing preventive measures.
He stressed that with the confirmation of cases in the FCT, the FCT Public Health Emergency Operations Center (FCT-PHEOC) was now in response mode.
He said the center would continue public awareness campaigns on the prevention, early detection, and reporting of not only cholera but also other diseases such as Mpox.
These campaigns, he said, would be conducted through community engagements using appropriate channels and media.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as of Oct. 13, over 14,237 cases of cholera have been reported across the country, causing 378 deaths, resulting in a case-fatality ratio of 2.7 per cent. (NAN).
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