The Federal Capital Territory, through its Public Health Department, has announced the activation of a Cholera Emergency Operations Centre, which they said was part of its surveillance and preparedness measures aimed at handling the disease outbreak in the nation’s capital.
The department disclosed the centre’s activation on Thursday in a statement made public.
The Permanent Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Baba Gana Adam, conducted the activation of the Cholera Emergency Operations Centre over the last weekend. During the event, he noted that the activation was necessary in light of the number of reported cholera cases across the country.
He stated that the FCT is at risk of cholera as an emerging city and is taking proactive steps to prevent and contain the spread of the disease in the event of an outbreak.
It was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary that the Secretariat would invest all the resources available to it to ensure that the outbreak of cholera in the FCT was not seen. He further directed that all the stakeholders who are involved in the development of effective, reliable strategies to prevent the disease swing into full action immediately.
After the directive, it was learnt that the FCT Public Health Department organised a Cholera Update meeting, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss the cholera situation in the FCT. The meeting included mapping high-risk areas and defining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in addressing the situation.
He noted that the recorded cases had prompted the activation of the Cholera Emergency Operations Centre to prevent the escalation and spread of the disease.
Speaking on FCT’s preparedness for what is expected to be the outcome of the potential outbreaks of disease, he noted that the FCT had instituted some measures before the first cases were recorded.
According to him, some of the measures included identifying high-risk areas, which led to placing some areas on red alert, public education and awareness campaigns, training for healthcare workers, and the establishment of a Cholera Incident Management team consisting of relevant stakeholders.
It was also noted that cholera is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Vibrio cholera, which spreads through contaminated food, water, and feces.
He noted that it was important to address environmental factors which will lead to the control of the disease and mentioned the active engagement of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board in cholera control efforts.
Speaking earlier during the meeting, the FCT State Epidemiologist, Dr Lawal Ademola, noted that the primary associated with a significant lack of good drinking water, poor sanitation, and poor food hygiene. The Epidemiologist noted that an effort to address the challenges will reduce the disease outbreak.
He also added that to control the diseases, it takes the effort of the individuals and communities to play important roles in stopping the outbreak and spread of the disease.
It was also disclosed that after the confirmation of two cases in the FCT, the FCT Public Health Emergency Operations Centre has been activated which will serve as a response with a mandate of creating public awareness campaigns on the prevention, early detection, and reporting of not only cholera but also other diseases such as Mpox.
It was also disclosed that the critical stakeholders in managing the cholera situation in the FCT included the World Health Organisation, the FCT Primary Health Care Board, the FCT Rural Water and Sanitation Agency, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, and the Water Sanitation and Hygiene, he noted that they had been engaged to ensure strict adherence to the control measures.
In the figures released as of October 13, 2024, it was reported that a total of 14,237 cases of cholera have been reported across 35 states and the FCT, spanning 339 local government areas.
It was disclosed that , 378 lives have been lost,which took the case-fatality ratio to about 2.7 per cent.
