Cholera Outbreak: Ekiti Sensitizes Populace, Sets Up Rapid Response Team

By Ayodele Oni

Following reported outbreak of cholera in neighbouring States of Lagos and Oyo, Ekiti State government has called on residents of the state to be on alert against the epidemic.

A statement by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, at the weekend, urged residents to keep a clean environment, drink safe water, wash their hands regularly, among others.

According to him, the state government has set up a Rapid Response Team, (RRT), to actively look out for cholera cases across the 16 LGAs.

He enumerated other measures to guide against possible infection to include “Washing of hands frequently with soap and water, before eating and after using the toilet and ensure access to safe drinking water sources. Boil or treat water from questionable sources.

“Food Safety: Practice safe food handling, cooking and storage to prevent cholera. Hygienic Sanitation: Use proper toilet facilities and maintain clean sanitation practices.

“Stay up-to-date with vaccinations against diarrheal diseases particularly for children. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, especially during episodes of cholera and keeping the surroundings clean and free from faecal contamination.

“The State has an operational readiness strategy, based on previous epidemiologic data, risk assessment and identified hotspots, to prevent the outbreak of cholera in Ekiti State through the Incident Management System (IMS) with functional areas/pillars.

“The State has an already established Rapid Response Team (RRT) at both State and Local Government Areas (LGAs) to actively search for cholera cases.

“As a result of this, there is a heightened surveillance for Cholera and other priority diseases across the 16 LGAs in the State.”

He added that the State is utilizing a multi sectoral approach for line response.”to curtail community spread of secondary infections, thorough contact tracing, optimal communication strategy for community engagement and mass sensitization and to also ensure adherence to standard infection, prevention and control measures at both community and health facility levels.”

The commissioner added that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); have been tasked to collaborate with development partners to ensure an effective monitoring.

According to him, practicing good hygiene habits and promoting community-wide preventive measures are essential in combating cholera and promoting public health.