Cholera: Oyo tasks residents on hygiene, clean environment
Oyo State Government has enjoined residents of the state to imbibe high level of hygiene in their day today activities. This followed the recent reported cases of cholera outbreak in some parts of Kwara state with its attendant loss of lives.
Executive Secretary of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, (OYPHCDA) Lanre Abass said the “call for high level of hygiene became necessary because Kwara is close to Oyo State”.
Speaking with journalists at the end of a ‘3-Day Workshop on Development of Annual Execution Plan for Oyo State Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan’ held in Oyo maintained that the state government has put in place necessary measures to forestall spread of the disease.
Abass, a medical doctor stressed that healthcare practitioners in the state must be vigilant while residents as well must be careful and take necessary safety measures.
“All hands must be on the deck by healthcare practitioners in the state to be on the alert while residents as well must be careful and take necessary precaution. People should obey environmental laws, they should ensure high level of personal hygiene, people should stop indiscriminate disposal of waste.
“Environmental laws should be obeyed, this is why this call is necessary to forestall outbreak of the disease.” He said.
The workshop which had in attendance medical practitioners, NGOs, policy makers, civil servants and the media was organised by OYPHCDA with support from Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) said the plan is to span a period of three years (2017-2020) to strengthen the state response to Family Planning at the cost of N6.5billion.
The communique issued at the end of the workshop urged government to ensure equitable distribution of skilled healthcare personnel to ensure coverage of rural areas to avoid lopsided in the health manpower distribution in the state.
“Government should embark on equitable distribution of skilled healthcare personnel to ensure coverage of all rural areas in the state. This is to address the current lopsidedness in health manpower distribution in the state.
“The government should fast track the implementation of the task shifting policy as an emergency stop-gap to address the critical shortage of skilled manpower in the health sector.
“Effective supervisory and monitoring mechanism should be put in place by the government to ensure quality delivery of FP programmes and reduce quackery” He stated.
For Abass, “Government should also capitalise on the ongoing N-Power human resource to meet some of the critical health providers’ needs in the rural areas of the state.
“Continue to provide enabling environment and leadership drive that will ensure implementation of the family planning programs in the state.” He said.
In conclusion, Abass believes it is a collective responsibility. In his words, “Media houses are also enjoined to give more airtime for the airing of issues relating to save motherhood and Family Planning (FP).
“All LGs in the state are also enjoined to create budget line codes for FP programs to make it expedient to improve the maternal health of women in the state especially those in the rural areas.”
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera remains a global threat to public health and an indicator of inequity and lack of social development. Researchers have estimated that every year, there are roughly 1.3 to 4.0 million cases, and 21 000 to 143 000 deaths worldwide due to cholera.
Cholera is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea. It takes between 12 hours and 5 days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.
Most people infected with V. Cholerae do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria are present in their faeces for 1-10 days after infection and are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.
Among people who develop symptoms, the majority have mild or moderate symptoms, while a minority develop acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. This can lead to death if left untreated.
A multifaceted approach is key to prevent and control cholera, and to reduce deaths. A combination of surveillance, water, sanitation and hygiene, social mobilisation, treatment, and oral cholera vaccines are used.
Cholera is an easily treatable disease. The majority of people can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral rehydration solution (ORS). The WHO/UNICEF ORS standard sachet is dissolved in 1 litre (L) of clean water. Adult patients may require up to 6 L of ORS to treat moderate dehydration on the first day.
Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan