By Stanley Onyekwere
As stakeholders continue to battle to contain the outbreak of Cholera disease, the death toll has risen to 60 in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
Making this disclosure, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, also revealed that suspected cases have risen from 604 to 698 within 72 hours.
Aliyu, spoke at the continuation of community sensitization on cholera and other severe acute diarrhoea diseases outbreaks in Pyakasa and Gwagwa.
The Minister, who was represented by the Ag. Executive Secretary of FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Iwot Ndaeyo, noted that Abaji area council has 3 suspected cases, no death, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has 281 suspected cases with 22 deaths, while Bwari Area Council records 134 suspected cases with 22 deaths.
She added that, Gwagwalada area council records 220 suspected cases with 9 deaths, Kuje area council records 23 suspected cases with 4 deaths and Kwali area council records 37 suspected cases with 3 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 steps 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, AMAC Chairman. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, affirmed the commitment of his council to forestall continuous spread of the disease to adjoining and other communities.
Candido added that the Primary Health Care Department of the council had embarked on sensitization tour to all the four chiefdoms in AMAC so as to enlighten the traditional rulers and their councils about the cholera outbreak and preventive measures.
He said: “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 this life threatening disease.
