The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jide Idris, has attributed the ongoing cholera outbreak in the country to poor sanitation, inadequate access to clean water, and poor personal and environmental hygiene.
Idris who said this while speaking on a programme on Channels Television on Saturday noted that the agency is conducting a risk assessment, and alerted all the states on the outbreak.
Dr. Idris emphasized the need for improved sanitation, access to clean water, and good hygiene practices. He stressed that prevention is crucial, especially in resource-limited situations.
“To me, it’s a disease that’s bordering on basic sanitation. My observation is that prevention is very weak, which also bolsters your point that we seem to have forgotten the need for prevention or we’re not taking it very seriously. And in a situation where resources are limited, I think that’s the best approach.
“If you go back to this cholera case, it’s a problem of poor sanitation, good personal and environmental, it’s a problem of lack of access to water. the easiest way for good personal hygiene is hand-washing, especially after using the toilet, and before you cook your food.
“But in a situation where you tell people to do hand-washing and there’s no access to water, it’s a problem. So, I think everybody, including the Federal Government, the state government, different agencies, local governments, even the people themselves, the community, have to come around.”
The DG said the state governments have to ensure access to clean water, and toilets for their citizens.
The former Lagos state health commissioner stressed the need to train more environmental officers to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and standards.
“I know there are many schools of health technology where these categories of workers are produced. But more importantly, I think, it’s also related to the issue of funding of the health sector. You have very poor funding, and human resources are getting worse. That’s the reality, Everywhere, at different levels.
“Something needs to be done, because it’s the same people that have to do this work, and the other thing is ourselves, we need to have positive health-seeking behaviour because there’s a limit to what the government can do. If we do not take our health very seriously. We need to change our behaviour.”
He, however, said the agency is assisting the states to respond to the outbreak.
“We’re sending people out now to do a rapid assessment. You have some experts who go to the States, assess their capabilities to manage the situation, what gaps they have, and what facets they have. Based on that, we determine how to assist.
“Meanwhile, we’ve sent out materials to different states, including what they need to use, IV fluids for people having diarrhoea, what they need to test, rapid test kits, and the Minister (the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate) is about to provide the necessary cholera vaccine. But, each state has to be responsible for its activities.”
He stressed that all hands must be on deck to fight the disease in the country.
He added that the present government is prioritising the health sector to address disease outbreaks in the country.
“Primary health care is one of the major focus, and I think it’s receiving serious attention. But the fact is that all over this country, there’s serious inequity. Some states have the resources, most states don’t have. You can have the facilities built and you don’t have people to man them. And this way again, primary health care comes.
“You have to use people within the communities to address these issues, but it also goes to the fact that you’ve got a community. So it’s not one size fits all.”
He concluded that there is a need to address the issues of water, sanitation, and waste disposal.
According to the NCDC, cholera is a seasonal and endemic disease in Nigeria, typically occurring during the rainy season in areas with poor sanitation.
The agency reported 1,141 suspected cases and 65 confirmed cases, resulting in 30 deaths across 30 states as of June 11th, 2024.
The World Health Organization reported 473,000 cholera cases in 2022, doubling the number from the previous year, with a further estimated increase of 700,000 cases in 2023.
The NCDC is working with states to respond to the outbreak, providing materials like IV fluids and rapid test kits, and the government is prioritizing primary healthcare to address disease outbreaks.
