Abuja — The death toll in communities hit by the severe faecal-oral gastro intestinal infection, Cholera, in the nation’s capital Abuja, has now risen to 60, Vanguard has learned.
This came as the Federal Capital Territory Administration assured that it has intensified community sensitization on cholera and other severe acute diarrhea disease outbreaks in the territory.
It added that cases of Cholera infections have now risen from 604 to 698 within 72 hours.
Minister of State in the FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, disclosed this at the continuation of community sensitization on cholera and other severe acute diarrhoea diseases outbreaks in Pyakasa and Gwagwa respectively.
The minister who was represented by the Acting Executive Secretary of FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Iwot Ndaeyo, noted that Abaji Area Council recorded three suspected cases with no death; Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recorded 281 suspected cases with 22 deaths, while Bwari Area Council recorded 134 suspected cases with 22 deaths.
Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Mr Austin Elemue in a statement said Gwagwalada Area Council recorded 220 suspected cases with nine deaths, Kuje Area Council recorded 23 suspected cases with four deaths and Kwali Area Council recorded 37 suspected cases with three deaths.
Aliyu, however, vowed that this ugly trend was unacceptable in the Federal Capital Territory, adding that the administration would not fold its hands and watch residents die helplessly over preventable diseases.
According to her, “We must take every necessary step to curb further spread”, just as she urged FCT residents and critical stakeholders to publicize the message of cholera disease prevention, proper sanitation with practice of hand hygiene in their respective communities.
In his remarks, chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Adamu Candido, affirmed the commitment of his council to forestalling continuous spread of the disease to adjoining communities.
He added that the Primary Health Care Department of the council had embarked on sensitization tour of all the four chiefdoms in AMAC so as to enlighten the traditional rulers and their councils about the cholera outbreak and preventive measures.
His words: “On our part as an area council, we swung into action immediately we received the news of the outbreak and its confirmation in June. We quickly mobilized our health personnel in all our primary healthcare facilities for prompt responses. Following the recommendations from the outbreak report, we provided funds for quick purchase of drugs, infusions and other treatment materials/consumables in addition to the ones we received from the FCT Public Health Department.
“The Disease Control Unit of our Primary Health Care Department through Disease Surveillance Notification Officers have been working tirelessly in different communities of the council including hard-to-reach fields in order to trace and report cases at the primary healthcare facilities for free treatment”.
Candido, therefore, commended the professional competence, commitment and zeal of the council’s health workers and the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCTA in combating the scourge.