Victims of a recent cholera outbreak in Gombe State
Fresh cholera outbreak kills 10 Gombe
Gombe State Ministry of Health, Thursday, announced that another cholera outbreak in five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state has claimed 10 lives.
Addressing journalists in Gombe, Commissioner of Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, represented by the Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shu’aibu, said due to the heavy rainfall, resulting in flooding in many parts of the State, there has been an increase in cases of cholera outbreaks in 8 wards across Balanga, Yamaltu-Deba, Nąfada, Funakaye, and Gombe LGAs.
Dr. Shu’aibu said the State Ministry of Health had promptly initiated Public Health Actions for the prevention and control of the cholera outbreak, with cases increased to 236 by September 20, 2022.
Consequent to that, Dr. Shu’aibu said ”the Commissioner for Health had activated an Incident Management System for the control of cholera at the PHEOOC, and established 13 Cholera treatments across the five LGAs, for management of the cases free of charge.
“The Commissioner of Health has directed house-to-house sensitisation and distribution of water treatment tablets in all affected communities, decontamination of affected wells and boreholes in our communities, and an active surveillance presently going on across all LGAs.
”Cholera was characterized by severe diarrhea and vomiting and can be rapidly fatal if prompt and urgent actions were not taken toward management of cases and effective infection prevention control,” Dr. Shu’aibu said.
He disclosed that cholera was easily spread in the community, or control measures were sub-optimal, further adding that State Governor Muhammadu Yahaya ‘had ensured that all the needed resources for free management of cases at the treatment centres and containment of the outbreak had been provided.’
In 2021, there was an outbreak of Cholera in Gombe State and across 33 other States of the Federation and from June to December of that period, there were three outbreaks of Cholera, where a total of 2,373 cases were recorded.
The Commissioner said this year, from June 30, 2022 Gombe State witnessed sporadic cases of cholera in Balanga LGA and because of the preparedness and prompt response, it was largely subdued without escalation.
