Practice good hygiene to reduce risk of Cholera —NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has called on Nigerians to practice good hygiene especially at this point in time when cholera is spreading.

The centre on Thursday reported a cholera outbreak in the country, with 65 confirmed cases and 30 deaths recorded between January 1 and June 11, 2024.

The outbreak has affected 96 local governments across 30 states, according to a public health advisory by the centre.

The NCDC highlighted an alarming increase in cholera cases coinciding with the rainy season.

It was said that 10 states that contributed 90 percent to the burden of cholera include Bayelsa, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, and Lagos states.

The statement reads: “The NCDC hereby alerts the public of the increasing trend of cholera cases across the country as the raining season intensifies.

“An outbreak in Lagos State has recently been reported. The multi-sectoral National Cholera Technical Working Group, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and comprising the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, has been providing support to the affected states.

“This support includes risk communication, active case search, laboratory diagnosis, case management, provision of response commodities, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, and dissemination of Cholera awareness jingles in both English and local languages.”

The centre also encouraged Nigerians to practise good hygiene, by washing the hands frequently, avoiding improper disposal of waste, and ensuring water is kept in a cool place, as a means of reducing the risk of cholera.

The centre said: “Practise good personal hand hygiene by washing your hands frequently with soap under clean running water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and clean water are not available.

“Only consume raw food such as fruits and vegetables, after washing thoroughly with safe water.”

“Avoid open defecation, indiscriminate refuse dumping, ensure proper disposal of waste and frequent clearing of sewage”, the statement reads.

Additionally, the agency mentioned that health workers should be careful when attending to ill people, and urged the government to place importance on the people’s welfare.

“Healthcare workers are advised to always practice standard safety precaution i.e., wearing gloves while handling patients or providing care to an ill patient/relative.

“Intensify surveillance efforts to promptly report suspected cholera cases.

“NCDC continues to advocate to State Governments to prioritize action for solutions that ensure access to and use of safe water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene practices in communities,” the statement read.