By Tosin Kolade
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday called for stakeholders’ coordination and renewed commitment from all states to reduce cholera-related deaths in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the number of cases reported nationally in 2021 stood at 111,062.
There were 3,604 deaths in 33 States and the FCT, exceeding the number of cases reported in 2020.
This was the thrust at the ongoing Cholera Preparedness, Prevention and Response Training for Stakeholders in Abuja, organised in partnership with UNICEF.
The Representative of the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Awe, noted that poor coordination and poor water safety plans were major challenges promoting cholera in the country.
According to him, there is the need to do more to strengthen states’ preparedness and response plans.
“This should be geared toward preventing cholera outbreak in the country, noting that strategies were on ground to mitigate its reoccurrence.
“Last year, we recorded about 4,000 deaths which are definitely not acceptable, so we are trying to prevent reoccurrence of that situation.
“We now have the idea of what actually happened that led to increased cholera deaths in 2021.
“Having known the fact that the states were not well prepared in terms of training and knowing what to do.
“They were not stocking the essential hygiene kits that should be as contingency plans.’’
Awe said that these plans were part of responses to help in preventing further spread of cholera whenever it occurs’’.
Awe, who is the Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation with the ministry, noted that all partners had agreed to provide necessary items needed for cholera response before the next rainy season.
“It may not be possible to totally eradicate cholera now, but it is preventable with collaboration with the states.
“And also by bringing everyone on board to see that in no distant time, we are able to prevent cholera in our country,” he added.
Awe expressed optimism that all the states would key into the efforts toward cholera prevention, saying, “unnecessary deaths of under-five children were worrisome.’’
He noted that the Federal Government had experienced instances of states not showing timely and adequate commitment as required.
Awe said that efforts were on to mobilise all the state governors to key into the cholera response plan.
“We will put in adequate resources and essential requirement before the rainy season, because it is at the onset of rainy season that cholera figures rise.
“We will contact every critical stakeholder to mitigate cholera in the country.
“Government shall continue to support the states in the provision of water and sanitation infrastructure, especially to public places and institutions.
“We, however, expect the states to own Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), as their constitutional responsibilities,’’ the director said.
Awe averred that the Federal Government had developed the cholera prevention and elimination strategies through the construction of water schemes.
They include: Boreholes and dams to curtail the spread of cholera and related waterborne diseases, and the construction of toilets to reduce open defecation.
“As at January 2022, we have been able to record 76 LGAs out of the 774 in the country that are entirely Open Defecation Free, in addition to thousands of other communities that are open defecation free.
“A number of communities had been trained on Water Safety Planning, as well as Community Based Water Quality Surveillance, all in the bid to improve the quality of the drinking water consumed in the rural areas’’.
Mr Oumar Doumbouya, WASH Manager, UNICEF, said its role was to support the Nigerian government and communities in helping children achieve their rights, saying, “2021 fatality rate on cholera was worrisome.”
He said, “more than 3,600 deaths in 2021 had seen the need for everyone to support the Federal Government in cholera prevention, preparedness and response.
“UNICEF plays key role in supporting the ministry through strengthening of coordination, and the WASH in Emergency Working Group.’’
This, he noted had seen strengthened coordination among partners supporting the Federal Government and the states.
According to him, the cholera training will help to build the needed knowledge in terms of coordination, preparedness, response and the release of budget for cholera response.
“While 2021 had been really worst in terms of cholera, it also gives us an opportunity to reflect on why this happened, why so many people died from cholera, why we can prevent cholera, but it has happened.
“We are now working on these different gaps so that in 2022 and beyond, we are more prepared, we are looking at cholera elimination.
“This is something we can prevent together with all partners including the states, altogether, we are hopeful that we can find a way to mitigate cholera, and the best way is to prevent it from happening, and prevention is key.’’
Doumbouya said that Nigerians needed to understand that cholera was still around, saying, “people are aware about COVID-19 by using their masks at all times.
“When it comes to cholera, it seems like it is okay, no, it is not okay, we should be mindful, we should wash our hands at all times, we should be mindful about the food we consume.
“We should be mindful about our sanitation and hygiene behaviours; this is what needs to be spread all around.’’
He stressed the need for continuous awareness about cholera, saying, “this could be possible through behavioural change risk communication.
“ People in urban slums are also very vulnerable and not just rural areas alone, when there is a disease, it can spread quickly.
“We really need to avoid that and raise awareness on behavioural change risk communication so that people are mindful about cholera still being here.’’ (NAN)
