…as cholera takes 63 lives, infects 2,100
Torrential rains whipped several states in Southern Nigeria on Wednesday, resulting in unprecedented floods which submerged homes, schools, farms, roads and businesses and left populations displaced, raising the risk of epidemics.
The rains, which heralded the month of July, the peak of the wet season in Nigeria, affected states like Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Delta, Edo and Rivers.
Wednesday’s rains further drew attention to the phenomenon of climate change, challenging governments to provide interventions including support for the displaced, efficient drainage systems, moving populations to higher ground, assistance to farmers to boost production and encouraging habitat-friendly practices among the populace.
Following Wednesday’s floods, the Federal Government warned on Thursday that the increasing level of flooding and continuous rainfall may worsen the spread of cholera in the country.
The Federal Government further warned that about 20 states would experience devastating floods in July and urged state governments to clear blocked drainages.
Speaking following Wednesday’s heavy rains across several states, Joseph Terlumum, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, warned at a press conference on Thursday that river flooding is expected beginning in July and that states likely to be impacted are Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Adamawa, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Taraba and the FCT.\
Terlumum advised on the clearing of blocked drainage systems and canals and relocation of people living along waterways. He further encouraged state governments to desilt river channels and canals in their respective states and to collect runoff water as part of the recommendations to file for flood reliefs.
His call came days after the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Jide Idris, confirmed that the death toll from the rampaging cholera outbreak in the country had risen to 63, with 2,102 suspected cases.
Idris said cases have now been recorded across 122 local government areas in 33 of the country’s 36 states and the FCT.
He said about 90 per cent of the cases were recorded in 10 states with seven of them in the southern region.
“Of the top 10 states, Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Delta that contribute about 90 per cent of the cases, seven of them are southern states,” Idris said.
He attributed the outbreak to the ingestion of contaminated food and water, even as he expressed the country’s capacity to curtail further spread despite the challenges posed by the culture of open defecation.\
Earlier, Idris said the agency had activated the National Cholera Multi-Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate what he described as a robust response to nationwide cholera cases.
He said the NCDC activated the EOC after conducting a dynamic risk assessment.
“In response to the rapidly increasing cholera cases, a dynamic risk assessment was conducted by subject matter experts on the cholera outbreak situation in Nigeria last week,” the NCDC boss said.
“The subject matter experts were drawn from relevant Ministries (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Water Resources, etc.), Departments, Agencies, stakeholders, and major partners. The outcome of the risk assessment placed the country at ‘High Risk’ of increased risk of cholera transmission and impact,” he said.
While addressing the president, the DG highlighted some of the challenges faced in the fight against cholera, including open defecation, inadequate toilet facilities, and poor sanitation.
He said the government has demonstrated strong political will to control the outbreak despite these challenges, with an inter-ministerial cabinet committee established to support the response efforts.
“Only 123 (16 per cent) of 774 LGAs in Nigeria are open defecation free, with Jigawa being Nigeria’s only open defecation-free state—more than 48 million Nigerians practice open defecation. Inadequate and existing toilet facilities are not well maintained, even in many government facilities,” Idris said.
“Inadequate safe water and poor sanitation: 11 per cent of schools, six per cent of health facilities, four per cent of motor parks and markets, have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services,” he said.
He also listed other challenges, including waste management practices, food, environmental and personal hygiene practices, and the capacity gap among healthcare workers at the state and LGA levels.
