A cholera outbreak has struck Kirikiri Medium Security Prison in Lagos, with 25 confirmed cases, contradicting the Nigerian Correctional Service’s earlier claim of no cholera cases in custodial centers nationwide. Meanwhile, Katsina State has recorded 118 suspected cholera cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, reported that urgent medical and environmental measures have been implemented to contain the outbreak. However, the NCDC data shows a worrying trend, with 1,528 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 53 deaths across 31 states since the beginning of the year.
In response, President Bola Tinubu has established a multi-sectoral cabinet committee to combat the epidemic, headed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate.
On the Kirikiri incident, Abayomi said, “We supplied Kirikiri medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention, and other health consumables.
“Additionally, the World Health Organisation donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals already delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required.
“Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected and there are ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the state.”
Addressing the source of the original outbreak two weeks ago, Abayomi said it had been traced to unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supply.
He said many samples taken from popular street beverages purchased by undercover environmental officers from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Health in the affected areas confirmed the presence of vibrio cholera bacteria, which is the cause of cholera.
“All the containers had no NAFDAC accreditation numbers, indicating they are small cottage backyard informal production units.
“Identifying the precise location of manufacture has proven difficult and the directorate of environmental health is planning to seal any such unregulated manufacture and make arrests of anybody involved with the manufacture or distribution of beverages without NAFDAC numbers,” Abayomi said.
The commissioner said there was no need for the public to panic and expressed optimism that with continued collaboration, vigilance, and commitment from all stakeholders, the state was taking decisive actions to combat and control cholera.
In Katsina, the Director of Epidemiology at Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Kabir Suleiman, said the 118 suspected cases returned negative.
He said, “Based on our records, around March this year, we had a cholera outbreak in Kusada Local Government Area. There were 68 suspected cases, where we had two confirmed cases with one death.
“The situation was effectively managed by the government, together with the development partners,” he said.
Suleiman added that recently, about 118 suspected cholera samples were taken for laboratory tests.
According to him, all the cases were negative, adding, “So, for now, we don’t have new cholera cases. But the state is fully prepared for any emergency.
“We can coordinate any outbreak that can affect the state at any time.”
The director said the state, together with some of the development partners, had the required equipment to fight the disease.
“We have all the needed equipment to treat such outbreaks. We have maintained our system at alert. The Rapid Response Teams, including surveillance and notification officers, have already been trained in the proper detection and management of such diseases.
“In terms of prevention and control, we are taking measures to curtail the spread of the disease to other places in the state,” he said.
Suleiman also said the government had established ‘Oral Rehydration Points’ at the 34 comprehensive health centres for admission and treatment of cholera cases.
“We also have a normal routine surveillance system working throughout the day to take care of emergencies like cholera,” he said.
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