Cholera: Residents cautioned to shun open defecation

By Stanley Onyekwere

Worried by the increasing rate of open defecation, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned residents to desist from the menace, in order to prevent outbreak of cholera.
Director, Public Health, Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCT Administration, Dr Humphrey Okoroukwu, gave the warning during a recent interview with the press, in Abuja.
Okoroukwu explained that open defecation was one of the causes that predisposes some residents to cholera which affected some communities in the territory.
He spoke on the heels of fatalities recorded from recent cholera outbreak in four communities of Sauka, Mpape, Kubwa village and Ushafa, in the nation’s capital city.
“People should stop defecating in open places, especially around the river banks to prevent infectious diseases like cholera.
“Residents are advised to have toilets in their homes and those who cannot afford Water Closet should endeavour to have pit latrines to avoid outbreak of cholera,” he said.
The director opined that cholera outbreak was common during the rainy season, and stressed the need for residents to take necessary precautions.
According to him, cholera outbreak occurred mainly in rural communities that had no access to potable water.
Okoroukwu also enjoined FCT residents to treat their drinkable water and ensure that it was free of any contamination.
He equally advised residents to take sick persons with symptoms of cholera immediately to nearby healthcare facility or hospital, pointing out that timeliness is of essence.