Diarrhoea, cholera kill 9 in Niger, Kogi

Executive Director, Niger state Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Yahaya Na’uzo, has confirmed the death of six out of the 43 people suffering from diarrhoea in three local government areas of the state.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna yesterday, Mr.
Na’uzo disclosed that the outbreaks occurred in Bida, Gbako and Katcha local government areas.
He said the affected persons were on admission at Bida General Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Bida.
“We want to advise especially those living in rural areas to be hygienic in their environment and avoid drinking unclean water.
“They should report immediately to a nearby health facility if they notice unusual changes in their body system so as to prevent more deaths,” he said.
He said the agency would collaborate with the affected local government areas to come up with preventive measures against further outbreak.
Similarly, three persons have been confirmed the dead following an outbreak of cholera in Kabawa area of Lokoja local government area.
Permanent Secretary, Kogi state Ministry of Health, Pastor Kolawole Johnson, who confirmed this to newsmen in Lokoja yesterday, said a total of 17 suspected cases were discovered and investigated by its Disease Response Team following a report received on the outbreak.
According to him, the cases recorded, indicated that three were confirmed dead while six are currently on admission at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital and Ali Omeiza Hospital in Lokoja, the state capital, He said the rest of the people discovered with the suspected cholera cases “are now in good condition.” “Residents of the affected community in Kabawa and other communities in Lokoja have been educated on the need to always maintain proper personal hygiene and drink water from safe source,” he said.
Kolawole said the Ministry of Health, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) across the 21 LGAs of the state had been placed on alert, advising members of the public to “immediately report any case of diarrhea to the nearest health centre for proper diagnosis and treatment.”