Mr Okechukwu Okoye, the Chairman, Anambra House of Assembly Committee on Information and Public Enlightenment, has expressed concern over the reported outbreak of gastroenteritis disease in the state.
Okoye, representing Aguata 2 State Constituency, expressed the worry in an interview with newsmen in Awka on Thursday.
He said that in the past four weeks, many children between the ages of zero and five years were reported to have contracted the infection, which involved excessive stooling and vomiting.
“Today, we are experiencing one of the most leading causes of deaths in children between the ages of zero and five years.
“It is quite common during dry season and it affects children. They get dehydrated as a result of constant vomiting and stooling,” he said.
Okoye said that the condition could lead to fever and loss of appetite as a result of bacterial effect on the immune system, adding that people should maintain proper personal hygiene.
According to him, contact with infected food, vomitus and diapers of infected children could escalate the spread of the disease easily.
The lawmaker, who said that he had witnessed deaths resulting from gastrointestinal infections, called for urgent intervention by the state Ministry of Health to contain the situation.
He advocated aggressive public enlightenment campaign on the prevention of the disease and other contagious diseases and proper hand washing to curtail the spread. (NAN)
