Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board, has announced that there are fifty suspected cases of cholera in three local government areas of the state.
However, he emphasized that none of these cases have been confirmed so far.
Dr. Mohammed made this statement while answering questions from journalists during the inauguration of the First Round of Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in Bauchi.
He identified the affected local government areas as Bauchi, Giade, and Toro, noting that case management and surveillance activities have already been initiated as efforts such as the chlorination of wells and decontamination of gutters are also underway.
Dr. Mohammed mentioned that the suspected cases have undergone Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Microscopic Tests, all of which returned negative results.
He urged the public to maintain personal and environmental cleanliness to protect themselves from cholera and other deadly diseases.
Regarding the MNCHW, the Executive Chairman stated that approximately 1.2 million children will receive life-saving interventions.
Dr Mohammed added that these children will be given deworming tablets, Vitamin A, and micronutrient supplements, among other treatments.
Meanwhile, the federal Government is collaborating with the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, to secure emergency vaccine donations in anticipation of a potential cholera outbreak nationwide.
In recent times, Cholera has become a pressing public health concern in the country, threatening the well-being of many individuals and communities.
On Monday, June 24, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), placed Nigeria at high risk of cholera transmission and declared the ongoing cholera outbreak a public health emergency.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris disclosed that 53 people have died from the disease. According to him, from the beginning of this year till date, 1,528 suspected cases have been reported across 31 states of the federation.
FRCN
