Cause: unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supplies.
By Ola Kay
The Lagos State Government has informed that it is currently receiving additional support from the World Health Organisation,WHO, in its battle against cholera outbreak incident at Kirikiri Prison
Following the development, the government, through state Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi traced epidemic to unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supplies.
n a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, confirmed that 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis caused by cholera had broken out at Kirikiri Medium Security Prison.
On the efforts made to promptly attend to the emergency health situation, the commissioner said: “We have supplied Kirikiri Medium Prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention materials, and other health consumables.
The statement pointed out that, ” Additionally, the World Health Organization has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals to support the prison health facilities, benefiting approximately 3,200 inmates if required.
“Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected, and ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the State are being conducted.”
The state government also noted a significant improvement in daily cholera cases from the increase observed about two weeks ago.
But the government observed evidence of ongoing low-grade community transmission as a few cases are still being pronounced at hospitals across the state.
On the source of the original outbreak,the state health commissioner disclosed that it had been traced to unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supplies.Prof. Abayomi stated that samples taken from popular street beverages by undercover environmental officers from the Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ministry of Health in the affected areas confirmed the presence of Vibrio cholera bacteria, which causes cholera.
He revealed that: “All of the containers had no NAFDAC accreditation numbers, indicating they are small cottage backyard informal production units.
“Identifying the precise location of manufacture has proven difficult, and the Directorate of Environmental Health is planning to seal any such unregulated manufacture and make arrests of anybody involved with the manufacture or distribution of beverages without NAFDAC numbers.”
The commissioner also informed that the state government, through its interagency initiative, ‘One Health’ approach, is enforcing environmental health countermeasures in collaboration with the Lagos Water Corporation and sanitation agencies (LAWMA and LASWAMO).
Abayomi said that, This includes widespread sanitation activities, inspection and disinfection of boreholes, supplying potable water to affected local governments and enforcing stricter regulations on local beverage manufacturers.
“Henceforth, as approved by Mr. Governor, a higher sanitary and regulatory standard for eateries, food handlers, beverage manufacturers, and groundwater will be implemented and enforced to curb the burden of food and water-borne diseases in Lagos.”
The commissioner underscored the need for continued vigilance and adherence to public health precautionary measures , calling on residents to take personal responsibility for consuming safe water, food, and beverages, maintaining good personal hygiene, starting oral rehydration therapy, and seeking immediate medical attention if symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting develop.
The commissioner for health informed that treatment for suspected cholera remains free of charge in all government hospitals in Lagos State.
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