Topic: Cholera outbreak: Nigeria runs out of vaccine as death toll hits 40 (Read 49 times)

Why won't the death toll reach 40, when the state government are not serious about the outbreak of cholera in the country,  no awareness and safety campaign in the state, some citizens don't even know that there is cholera outbreak because the awareness is very poor,  the health centre are doing their best put no good support from the Government to  encourage them to do more. The medical incentive is low, no motivation. But regardless one must take the major precautions serious,  since we have to access to Internet make reach on how to stay safe. We must help ourselves,  talk to people around you on how to be protected,  we must not wait for the government.

You are saying the truth, no doubt, but the only mistake you mentioned was blaming the government. I know the health agencies have a vital role to play in the care of people leaving rural communities and even urban areas, as well as the government, but have you ever investigated and known that the community also has a vital role to play? I don’t think you know so, because if you do, you will not say that cholera is a result of the government and the health agencies because some play their roles. 

I write this because we have been in various community mobilisations where we educate most of the people in the rural area about ways they can dispose of their refuse and how they can utilise their available resources, most especially the water they drink and the food they eat. The biggest rival that this rural community can’t stay away from is hygiene because no matter how you educate them about their hygiene, they will still keep an unhygienic environment, and this is one of the best channels of cholera. 

The causative agent of cholera is Vibrio cholerae, and this V. cholerae is a bacterial agent that is caused by food and water that has been contaminated with faces from an infected person. I know you will be surprised. How will someone eat a face? No, it is not direct contamination; it is usually spread by a housefly or cockroach that can have direct contact with the face and still get contact with the food. So how is this the fault of the government? Even if the government wants to help without the participation of community members, all efforts are wasted. That is just a fact. 

The issue we've always had as a nation is that we like taking medicine after death. Before COVID-19, the average Nigerian didn't know a thing about the NCDC and its function, and after COVID went down, they went incognito up until this moment. Is it until a formal report is released before we know that our environment is very conducive for cholera to thrive? How many times have we seen medical agencies doing proper inspections on waters that run via pipes that haven't been maintained for years and yet are still serving water to houses? Do you care to know that almost all the sachet water we are taking is poorly treated and that there are lots of people who are selling bottled waters that have zero treatment and that have NAFDAC registration numbers even when they are not registered with NAFDAC?

The average Nigerian is sick due to environmental pollution, spoilt waters due to the effect of oil exploration, and inability to eat healthy foods because they can't afford them and have to eat whatever their money can buy making them the most vulnerable to any disease outbreak.

Check the statistics of the death toll and you will discover that 90% of those affected are living in an environment that has been neglected by the government and that lacks basic things like good waters and a serene environment that will encourage them to live an hygienic lifestyle. As it has always been the case, the poor masses would still suffer while the mighty men would steal more money so they could protect their families from getting affected regardless of how serious it becomes.

As the death toll from the latest cholera outbreak hits 40, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says the country does not have enough vaccines. According to the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, Nigeria has placed an order for more cholera vaccines from donor agencies, even though the date of delivery is still unknown.
The NCDC boss stressed the need for the country to embrace the use of vaccines and other preventive measures to curb the spread of the acute diarrhoeal infection.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by the ingestion of the bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, in contaminated water and food.
No fewer than 4,364 people have died out of the 139,730 Nigerians suspected to have been infected with the disease across the country in the last four years, an investigation by Saturday PUNCH has indicated. The incidence rate was derived from an analysis of the weekly cholera situation reports released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control between 2021 and 2024.
Recall that the NCDC recently alerted the public to the increasing trend of cholera cases across the country as the rainy season intensifies. In a statement signed by Idris on Thursday, June 13, 2024, the agency said that from January 1 to June 11, 2024, a total of 1,141 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 30 deaths from cholera had been reported from 96 local government areas in 30 states of the federation.
The NCDC listed the 10 states that contributed 90 per cent to the burden of cholera as Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos. As of then, the Lagos State Ministry of Health said it had recorded 350 suspected cases of the disease in 29 wards across multiple LGAs with 17 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities attributed to severe dehydration caused by delayed presentation.



Source.
https://punchng.com/cholera-outbreak-nigeria-runs-out-of-vaccine-as-death-toll-hits-40/?amp