Health education officials in Lagos State are urging residents to bring suspected cases of cholera to the nearest healthcare facility, regardless of whether the individual is a registered patient.
They emphasized the importance of this action in preventing further complications and fatalities, as delays in locating registered hospitals have resulted in adverse outcomes.
This recommendation was made during a Risk Communication-Community Engagement Meeting on the cholera outbreak, held at the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,102 suspected cholera cases and 63 deaths across 33 states and 122 Local Government Areas from the beginning of the year to June 30.
In Lagos State, there have been 33 deaths, 49 confirmed cases, and 821 suspected cases documented in various LGAs, with Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, and Kosofe reporting the highest number of cases. Cholera, caused by the vibrio cholerae bacteria, results in acute diarrheal infection from consuming contaminated food, water, or drinks.
Symptoms include persistent diarrhea, possibly accompanied by vomiting, leading to significant fluid loss and fatal consequences within hours without prompt medical intervention.
Speaking at the meeting, Olusegun Badejo, the State Health Educator and Director of Health Promotion at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, highlighted the severe dehydration experienced by individuals with cholera, emphasizing the critical need for immediate medical care.
Badejo recommended that suspected cholera patients be taken promptly to the nearest hospital for treatment and administered Oral Rehydration Solution during transit.
“Whosoever is taking a patient to the nearest health facility is doing an excellent job but the person is not doing a good job as someone who is replacing the fluid (administering ORS if the person isn’t vomiting and can tolerate it) as the person is being transported. What we have discovered is that when the body fluid gets exhausted and finished, the person is at risk of dying.
“So, don’t begin to ask or look for the hospital where the patient has a card, take the person to the nearest health facility for urgent medical attention,” Badejo noted.
The State Health Educator warned parents to teach their children to avoid accepting food or water from classmates or strangers to prevent cholera.
He explained that houseflies spread cholera bacteria and emphasized the importance of handwashing and hygiene. Although the outbreak is subsiding, he stressed that continued efforts are necessary to prevent a resurgence.
“We all have a role to play. We want to equip and train us on precautionary measures that we need to take in times like this so that when we are done, you can go back to the people you are representing to train them and cascade the information to them. Everybody must be ready to fight this battle because we don’t want cholera in Lagos State,” the Health Promotion Director added.
Ayoade Shoboyejo, Assistant Chief Health Education Officer, stressed the importance of providing accurate and comprehensive information about cholera to the community.
He encouraged participants to make informed decisions and take community-based actions to reduce the risk of infection and prevent the spread of cholera.
“Once we notice the signs and symptoms relating to cholera, the first thing to do is to ensure that we get an Oral Rehydration Solution. This is a simple cost-effective solution of clean water, salt and sugar that can prevent deaths by 80 per cent in persons with cholera.
“The salt in the ORS replenishes the body electrolyte, the sugar produces the glucose and the water is effective in replenishing the lost electrolyte in the body,” Shoboyejo highlighted.
The Health Education Officer explained that Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) can be purchased at pharmacies or prepared at home using the correct proportions of sugar, salt, and water.
He also noted that chlorine tablets are a effective way to prevent cholera outbreaks.
He stated, “Chlorine tablets have been introduced and it is effective in the purification and disinfecting water, especially dirty water. This has been tested and certified as effective. This tablet has been distributed across 20 LGAs. There are instructions to guide each dosage.
“In an emergency water disinfectation, we dissolve one tablet per 200 litres of water and this will give us 5ppm available chlorine in the water. You keep it for 30 minutes and it is safe for drinking.”
Shoboyejo emphasized the importance of good hygiene practices, including washing hands with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet, purifying water by boiling or adding chlorine before drinking, keeping personal and environmental surroundings clean, and washing fruits and vegetables before eating them.
