By Correspondent in Abuja.
It is with a great sense of urgency and duty that I have called this press conference intended to sensitize the Media and general public on the Cholera outbreak in the country and the efforts being made by the Federal Ministry of Environment to contain the scourge.
2. As you are aware, Nigeria is currently experiencing cholera outbreak in several parts of the country with reported cases of fatalities. Latest situation report from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) released on 10th August 2021 indicated a total number of 33,661 suspected cases including 938 deaths in 22 states and FCT(Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Borno, Kastina, Adamawa and FCT) with increasing number of new cases in, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kano, Gombe, Plateau, Niger, Zamfara and Abuja FCT. It is against this background that the Federal Ministry of Environment is organising this press conference to respond to the increasing rate of spread of Cholera cases across the country, sensitize the general public on cholera preventive and control measures to avert further outbreaks and strengthen collaboration with NCDC and other stakeholders in tackling the cholera scourge.
3.Cholera which is a sanitation and hygiene enabled disease is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of unwholesome food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It remains a global threat to public health and affects both children and adults and can kill if untreated. It is an extremely virulent disease that takes between 12 hours and 5 days for symptoms to manifest. The symptoms are watery diarrhoea, dehydration, pain in abdomen, nausea, vomiting e.t.c. Cholera outbreak is a seasonal public health event in Nigeria, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more often in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene practices.
4.Over the years, the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with stakeholders cutting across government at all levels, organized private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s), Community Based Organisations (CBO’s), Academia, Development Partners, has taken steps to deliver adequate sanitation and hygiene services to the citizenry. These measures include development of policies, regulatory and legislative frame work, implementation of relevant programmes and projects, establishment of relevant regulatory and enforcement agencies e.t.c
5.Despites all these efforts, the country continues to suffer from cholera epidermic and other sanitation enabled diseases every year. This is largely due to our collective behaviours and attitude towards environmental sanitation and hygiene practices which are very poor. This year’s outbreak is very serious and has continued to ravage many states with more fatalities being reported on a daily basis
6.In responding to the recent cholera outbreak, the Federal Ministry of Environment, has activated the Sanitation Desks in the 36 State Ministries of Environment and FCT urging them to carry out environmental sanitation activities in their various states aimed at containing the outbreak. The Ministry has also requested the Environmental Health Officers in the states and local governments across the country to intensity their efforts in carrying out sanitary inspection of premises and abatement of nuisances that could result to diseases outbreak such as cholera, Lassa fever. e.t.c
7.Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me use this opportunity to inform you that in days to come, the Federal Ministry of Environment will be flagging off National Environmental Sanitation Response Intervention to Cholera Outbreak in Kubwa, Abuja which is currently the epi-centre in the FCT. Afterwards, the Ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including Environmental Health Officer’s (EHO’s) in the states and local Government Areas will embark on nationwide intervention response activities covering the following areas:
● Sanitary inspection of premises/Environmental Health Surveillance of hotspot communities.
● Disinfection of contaminated water sources/sites
● Strengthening capacity of Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in the State Ministries of Environment and the affected LGAs.
● Sanitary inspection of food business premises of affected communities
● Advocacy, Sensitization and Community Town Hall meetings on control of Open Defecation practices and its health impact.
● Sanitary inspection of Schools (Primary & Secondary) in affected communities
● Training of community volunteers on safe water handling, environmental sanitation and hygiene practices,
● Working with the State and Local Governments to ensure enforcement of relevant Environmental Sanitation Laws, Standards, Regulations and Guidelines in all the communities.
8.Meanwhile citizens are advised to imbibe good sanitation and hygiene practices and take preventive and control measures such as:
● Keeping the environment clean;
● Ensuring the use of clean and safe water;
● Washing hands regularly with soap and running water especially at critical moments such as after using the toilet, after coughing or sneezing; after cleaning a child who has gone to the toilet; after touching books and money; before preparing food; before (and after eating); and after playing with animals.
● Avoiding open defecation;
● Cooking food well, keeping it covered and eating it hot;
● Disposing wastes regularly and at designated collection centres;
9.Ladies and gentlemen of the press, let me use this forum to charge all state Governments, Commissioners of Environment, Local Government Chairmen/Councillors and Environmental Health Officers across the country to step up their sanitation and hygiene programmes and activities to control and prevent further outbreak and spread of cholera in our Country.
10. I also want to use this opportunity to assure the general public that the Federal Ministry of Environment remains committed to ensuring a clean and healthy environment for all Nigerians. This is a collective responsibility which requires concerted efforts of all and sundry. This is the only way we can prevent and curtail incidences of cholera outbreak and other communicable diseases. I therefore call on all members of the public to keep their environment clean.
11. Finally, l urge all media organisations to join the Federal Ministry of Environment and other stakeholders as partners in progress, in controlling and preventing the spread of cholera outbreak in the country by sensitizing and educating the public on cholera preventive and control measures.
12. Thank you for your attention
Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar
