Dr Janet Ekpeyong, Director-General, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA) has advised parents to ensure their children are fully immunised against measles following the high temperature currently being experienced.
Ekpeyong gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Thursday.
She said that the heat currently being experienced came with some health challenges which include, vaccine preventable diseases like measles and meningitis.
According to her, due to the weather condition, a lot of dust is generated, putting people at the risk of respiratory health infections.
She appealed to the people to avoid dusty areas and bush burning as they had hazardous effects on their health.
“People need to avoid dusty environment and bush burning; also because I know that people use this period to burn bushes in preparation for the commencement of the planting season.
“This does not only affect our respiratory organs and atmosphere but displaces rats and other rodents as they begin to look for where to hide.
“At the end of the day, some of them end up in different homes, putting people at further risk of Lassa fever when they contaminate food and other household wares.
“Because of the heat being experienced, we must ensure that we take our bath regularly, maintain proper ventilation, wear proper clothing that do not attract so much heat,’’ Ekpeyong said.
According to her, eat balanced diets with water-rich fruits such as water melon and cucumber and as well ensure that we always remain hydrated.
“A lot of people tend to faint during this period; so always go along with a bottle of water. That is what I encourage people to do,” she said.
Mr Johnson Odey, resident in Calabar, who spoke with NAN, said the heat was so much these days, describing the situation as abnormal.
“These days, I go to bed naked. Still, I feel uncomfortable as my bed-sheet get soaked with my sweat, even at night when you expect the weather to be cool.
“I believe it is the issue of global warming because when it is hot, it is extremely hot and when it rains, it is extreme too much, thereby causing flood in different parts of the nation,’’ Odey said.
Another Calabar resident, Emmanuel Uduak, said, “The bed in my bedroom is big but my wife still leaves the bed to lie down on the floor due to the heat. The weather is just too hot.”
