Lagos govt enlightens residents on cholera preventive measures

To prevent the outbreak of cholera in Lagos State, residents have been urged to ensure their sources of water are safe for drinking while also maintaining good hygienic practices in preparing food.

Director, Health Education and Promotion Board, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs Grace Adesola gave the advice on Thursday, on the sideline of the inauguration of the Standing Committee on sensitisation of cholera in Ikorodu, Lagos.

Mrs Adesola implored residents to take preventive measures for cholera seriously, stressing that the disease was caused by what they eat and ingest into their body systems.

According to her, some of the preventive measures included ensuring safe drinking water by boiling, chlorinating safe bottled water, maintaining proper sanitation and safe disposing of faeces.

She listed other measures to include putting a stop to open defecation, practising personal hygiene by washing hands with soap regularly, ensuring food safety by preparing, cooking and storing of food against flies, and avoiding raw fruits except when washed with safe water.

“If all these are put in place, cholera outbreak will be curtailed in Lagos state,” she said.

Mrs Adesola said that the board had intensified its surveillance and mobilised officers to go into communities to know the immediate causes of the disease and people affected, to match with records gathered from hospitals and healthcare centres.

“So far, we have recorded some deaths; while some are recovering, others have been discharged from the hospitals. We still want to inform residents of Lagos State that the cholera outbreak is real,” she added.

According to her, 12 out of the 20 local government areas are already affected in various communities, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

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She added that only four cases have been treated at the General Hospital in Ikorodu, with no death recorded.

Mrs Adesola said that the ministry had leveraged various stages of sensitisation to inform the public about the disease and how to curb its outbreak.
(NAN)