Professor Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, announced that the state government has adopted the One Health Strategy to combat the recent cholera outbreak.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, he explained that this approach involves a coordinated effort among various government agencies, including those responsible for health, environment, agriculture, physical planning, education, and others.
By working together, they aim to prevent and control the spread of the disease in Lagos communities.
Abayomi highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in preventing the further spread of cholera, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to protecting the health and well-being of its citizens.
This unified effort is a crucial step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of Lagos residents.
He highlighted, “As part of activities to combat the spread of cholera and address the spike in cases, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre was activated.
“The activities of the PHEOC involve the adoption of the One Health Approach through relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Lagos State Government. Officials from the Ministries of Health, Environmental and Water Resources, Education, Information and Strategy, Physical Planning, and Agriculture are working together under the PHEOC to curb the outbreak and prevent future occurrences.”
The commissioner reassured residents that the cholera outbreak was being effectively managed, thanks to a well-established incident command structure led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a comprehensive emergency operation center.
This center brings together various ministries, agencies, and stakeholders to coordinate response efforts. According to the Ministry of Health, as of June, there have been 579 reported cases of cholera, with 43 confirmed by laboratory tests and 29 fatalities.
Despite these numbers, the commissioner emphasized that the situation is under control.
“We have unfortunately experienced 29 deaths. Most of these deaths were caused by patients presenting very late, at a stage when we could not resuscitate them due to severe dehydration. Some patients were brought in dead,” the commissioner said.
He noted that the government investigation was still ongoing to ascertain the cause of cholera in the state.
“So far, we have not been able to identify a source yet, but investigations are continuing. We want to see if we can identify a particular source,” he stated.
