By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Borno State Commissioner of Health, Hon. Juliana Bitrus has declared an outbreak of cholera in the state following environmental and health factors in 7 Local Government Areas of the state that claimed many lives and others hospitalized responding to treatment.
Hon. Bitrus, disclosed this during a press briefing in maiduguri, said as at Tuesday, 31st August 2021 reports have shown that the state has recorded a total of 42 deaths, 559 suspected cases, 67 new cases, 57 people hospitalized.
The health commissioner, called on the general public to be wary of the disease noting that it is transmission is prevalent in unhygienic environment as a result of poor water supply and open defecations etc.
She urged people to always observe a good healthy environment and eating habit especially, behavioural manner of cleanliness before eating and after using toilets while assuring that the government had deployed medical facilities and mobilized health workers to the affected LGAs.
The commissioner further explained that the state government was working assiduously with the humanitarian and development partners in health interventions, in order to stop further spread of the outbreak.
According to her, already the climate change informed the outbreak and there was the need to step up responses across the state despite the fact that Borno State Preparedness Plan has been in place involving all partners on board.
“Sensitization team has also been in course across the state educating and enlightening the public on the need for clean environment, cleanliness in the house, public toilets and awareness on the dangers of open defecation on the streets, river sides and open spaces, covering of food, washing hands before and after eating, regular water testing and boiling and burying of victims in line with IPC protocols among others”.
Hon. Juliana said the affected LGAs so far Include Gwoza, Kaga, Hawul, Magumeri, Damboa, MMC and Jere with Gwoza having the highest number of 354 people with suspected cases, 18 death, 62 new cases and 35 on admission. This is followed by Hawul LGA with 125 suspected cases, 11 death, 4 new cases, 4 in admission and 1 new death and Damboa LGA with 39 suspected cases, 10 death and 1 person on admission.
Magumeri LGA has 6 suspected cases, 1 death and 2 on admission, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council has 4 suspected cases and 12 on admission and lastly, Jere LGA with 8 suspected cases, 1 death and 12 on admission.
She also noted that government was strengthening surveillance system from communities to LGAs and state capital, Maiduguri city to detect suspected cases, establish and strengthen LGA Disease Rapid Response Teams, training of all LGAs RRT and Health Facilities Survielance Team at the LGAs, providing logistics and commodities as well as establishing 10 CTC and CTU in all the affected LGAs among others
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