WHO, Ondo team up to prevent cholera outbreak

The World Health Organisation has donated some Infection and Prevention and Control materials to the Ondo State Ministry of Health as part of the efforts to help prevent cholera outbreaks.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Press Officer of the ministry, Bisi Lawani in Akure, the state capital, on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the Coordinator, WHO, Dr Dele David, noted that the organisation had always been at the forefront of preventing outbreaks and death in communities and among healthcare workers which necessitated the donation of Infection and Prevention and Control materials to the state to keep the healthcare workers and the communities safe.

The state coordinator said further that the WHO has always been sustaining  the Emergency Operations Centre during and after the epidemic for proper planning and informed decisions.”

He also explained that WHO had also been supporting pillars to develop action plans in case of  any outbreak and has integrated with communities in the state to create awareness of diseases through communities  and media engagement

He promised that WHO would continue to support states in the country to ensure the highest sustainable level of health for all people living in the country through collaboration with the government and other partners working in the health sector.

According to the statement, the state  Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, while receiving the IPC materials emphasised that Ondo State had recorded two cases of cholera in March this year and the state was able to curtail the outbreak in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state as a result of its preparedness to combat the disease

“The state is ready to combat any case of cholera as we have activated our surveillance in the 203 wards and the 18 Local Government Areas in the state. Our  Disease Surveillance Notification Officers are desperately searching and testing for cases of vomiting and diarrhoea”, the commissioner,” stressed.

He also expressed the commitment of the governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa to providing an Emergency Preparedness Fund to tackle the scourge of cholera in the state within the shortest period  of cholera outbreak in the country

Ajaka lauded the WHO for their support for the state, emphasizing their activities during the Owo Massacre where the World  Health Organization Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo provided drugs health materials and equipment to the state for the victims of the massacre.

“The donated materials would help to fight the scourge of cholera and other epidemic-prone diseases such as Lassa fever and it would protect the health workers in the state,” Ajaka commended