Dr. Oyebanji Filani, Chairman of Nigeria’s Forum of Health Commissioners, has stated that the Federal Government has provided test kits and other materials to 22 states in response to the recent cholera outbreak in various regions of the country.
This came as Lagos State reported 500 probable cholera cases and the administration rushed to contain its spread.
Nigeria is now suffering a severe cholera outbreak, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reporting over 1,528 suspected cases across 31 states.
The outbreak has primarily affected Lagos, Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, and Nasarawa states.
The primary reason has been identified as the intake of polluted water and inadequate sanitation, which is aggravated by the arrival of the rainy season, which frequently leads to an increase in cholera cases owing to flooding and degraded water supplies.
Speaking on the disease epidemic on Sunday, Oyebanji stated that no state had gotten the cholera vaccine.
He noted that because the immunity time for the cholera vaccine is brief, the primary focus had been on prevention and prompt treatment for those who contracted the sickness.
He said, “No state, as of today, has received the cholera vaccine. The most important thing is prevention. And for those who have cholera, be very quick with the treatment.
“Cholera vaccines are not easily available because, unlike others, the immunity period for cholera vaccines is a bit short. You may see a pile sent to countries in emergency, but no state as of today for this current one has received any vaccine.’’
“States are working with our counterpart at the federal level; we are not focusing on the vaccines; we are focusing on improving health promotion, prevention, water hygiene, and sanitation.
“And for those who have it, providing the necessary treatment so that they can come out of it as quickly as possible because the immunity period of cholera vaccines is short. People are focused more on minimising impacts than trying to get the vaccine,” he stated.
Speaking on the assistance the Federal Government had rendered to states, Filani, who is the Commissioner for Health and Human Services in Ekiti State, said, “The Federal Government has provided consumables, test kits, and other materials, including PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). Not all states, but several states, have received the materials.’’
He added, “Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, Ondo, Osun, Niger, Kano, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Kwara, Anambra, Sokoto, Plateau, Ebonyi, and Ekiti have all received test kits, consumables, and other materials from the FG.
“This was as of two weeks ago. But it is possible that others have also received it by now. We have received materials, and they (the Federal Government) said they would continue to do that (send the kits).”
Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, reports that the number of probable cholera cases in Lagos has grown to almost 500.
In a conversation with newsmen on Sunday, Ogunyemi, however, stated that the tendency was declining.
“We are having a meeting tonight (Sunday) to find out what happened over the weekend, but the numbers have gone up a little bit, and we are talking about about one here and one there and then the accumulation, but cumulatively, it’s the 500 compared to what it was, but they are not all confirmed cases. But looking at the trend in terms of new cases, it’s going down; it’s not going up,’’ she claimed.
She ascribed the decline to the government’s “massive sensitization” efforts.
“Environmental experts are going out, teaching people how to boil water, wash hands, not defecate outside, and all that,” she said.
Ogunyemi further stated that screening at the state health centres was still ongoing and that the state was awaiting the vaccination from the Federal Government via the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
She said, “We don’t make a vaccine in Lagos. They give it to us. The NCDC does orders for the whole nation, not just for Lagos. So they’ve ordered the vaccine. Once we get the vaccine, then people are free to come and get it.”
