Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, has revealed that the cases of suspected cholera outbreak in the state have increased to 401 with 21 fatalities recorded so far. According to the statement, Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recorded the highest numbers. The Special Adviser stated this today in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo.
The disease Cholera, is a food and water-borne disease caused by ingesting the bacteria into human system— Vibrio cholerae — especially in contaminated water and food. Cholera can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea, and the severe forms of the disease that can kill within hours if left untreated unattended to.
Due to poor hygiene in some slumps in Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, re-occurring annually mostly during the rainy season when contaminated water infiltrate either broken pipes in poorly sanitised areas or the surface ground water.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation.
The statement from the health ministry reads; “Following the last update on the cholera outbreak in Lagos, which reported 350 suspected cases and 15 fatalities, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 401 across Lagos, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recording the highest numbers.
“Dr. Ogunyemi revealed this today while providing an update on the outbreak after meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. She added that the death toll has also risen to 21, an increase of six from the previously reported 15 fatalities,” the statement partly read.”
According to her, the rise in cases was anticipated following the Ileya festivities, during which large gatherings occurred across communities.
Although, she noted that suspected cases are subsiding across Local Government Areas, particularly in previously affected LGAs due to the state government’s interventions and surveillance efforts.
It was learn that the state Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, are maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned programs and activities to curb the spread.
She said, “The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Environment and its agency, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, continues to collect samples of water sources, food, and beverages to identify the source of contamination. We have also intensified our surveillance activities in communities, particularly in affected local government areas, to address the situation head-on.
“We are also working with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as the Ministry of Tertiary Education to ensure all precautions are taken in our schools to protect children and scholars as they return. Residents must, however, remain vigilant, practice good hand hygiene, and participate in community sanitation activities to stop the spread of cholera,” she added.
Meanwhile, she urged citizens to seek medical attention immediately they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free of charge at all public health facilities.
While noting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains committed to ensuring that residents of Lagos receive quality and affordable health care, the Special Adviser extended the gratitude of the State Government to local, national, and international partners—including the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organisation, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Red Cross, and others—for their support in combating the outbreak.
The commissioner concluded, “Appreciation is also extended to the dedicated team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, environmental health officers, Water Corporation officers, surveillance officers, and heads of agencies, members of PHEOC, and volunteers who are working around the clock to combat the disease and keep Lagos safe”.
